Faces of the Past
by NorseGoddess23
Summary: This is not his land or the woods Fili recognized from around Erebor, this land was strange with a woman in strange clothes staring at him and the orcs he just killed in shock. This was not Middle-Earth and he'd never heard of this Earth that this strangely dressed woman said he was in. No magic in the land and no way home.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: not mine other than original characters

Author's Note: So this isn't exactly the normal kind of Hobbit story where a girl appears in Middle-Earth but it's something that popped in my head and refused to leave until I wrote it out. Some people may not like it but I'm writing it for myself rather than anyone else and just hope that some of you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

Chapter One

Erebor was taken back from Smaug over a year ago, the dragon destroyed and the battle of five armies ended with the Orcs going back to whence they came. Lives had been lost; Human, Elf and Dwarf alike, but through it all the line of Durin persisted and Thorin, Fili and Kili lived to see another day much to Dis' relief. They lived to see their kingdom of Erebor restored to its former glory and prosper as it once had when Thorin and a few of the others of their company recalled it as when they were younger and Thorin was officially crowned King Under the Mountain; helping the people of Laketown rebuild their own kingdom of Dale, creating trades and deals – even with the Elven king Thranduil. Their people were no longer homeless, they no longer needed to call the Blue Mountain's their home, but only needed to journey back to their birthright – Erebor.

"Prince Fili! Prince Fili! Please, your uncle-"

Fili quickly ducked behind a set of heavy doors where some of his uncle's advisors attempted to catch up to him, the dwarf was a decent man and was one of the more bearable councilors that were staffed but that doesn't mean he didn't want to hide from the man and whatever duty his uncle decided to thrust upon him. Hiding from advisors of the court was very unprincely of him, but Fili decided he was allowed to be selfish at least once in a great while, and right now looking or dealing with what this advisor had brought to him by order of his uncle was not on the top of Fili's priorities.

As thankful as Fili was to be in the homeland of his people, to be back in their kingdom, he needed a break once in a while from all of the princely duties that he had to do for being Thorin's heir, sometimes he wished that he was the younger brother with less responsibilities but he wouldn't actually wish this on Kili. It is not as if he despised these responsibilities and hated his position; he did enjoy it, he enjoyed his people and helping them, he liked to learn new things and the things he needed to know when he eventually took over for Thorin. Somedays, somedays he just wanted to be Fili a dwarf of Erebor. Not prince Fili, future King of Erebor.

"Fili! Brother!" Kili yelled to Fili, who was getting a pony ready to go out on a ride for a little bit. "Where are you going?" he questioned him once he reached him.

Fili turned to his brother with a forced smile, "Kili. I just need to get away for a little while from all the duties and everything." He said to him, looking at him imploringly, hoping he understood his need for this. "I need to just be Fili for a while, even if it is but for just a few short hours. I haven't been just Fili since before the quest for Erebor."

Kili looked at his brother in concern and understanding; before in the Blue Mountain's they may have been princes but they weren't treated as such like they were now, they were treated like every other dwarf was for the most part but now, now that reprieve was gone. They had official duties that they couldn't just not do as they used to, they had to follow through on their duties because they were princes of Erebor, Heirs of Thorin, and needed to be princes that their people could count and rely on. They needed to be seen as honorable and reliable. Kili did not envy his older brother in any sense; Kili may have princely duties he needed to do but they were nothing compared to Fili's, being future king added more responsibilities than just being a prince, there were things Fili needed to learn the ways of, needed to learn the politics of the land and the politics of making deals and trade with other kingdoms among many other teachings and duties his other brother needed to know of.

"I will keep Uncle and mother distracted as long as I can if they ask your whereabouts." Kili told him.

Fili smiled at his brother, "Thank you brother." He said and stepped towards him and gave him a genuine hug in thanks, bending his forehead to touch his brothers. "I will be back in a few hours." Fili told him as he mounted the pony and pulled the reigns and guided the horse towards the exit, hoping that the people that did see him would not mention it to his uncle or mother until he had gotten a substantial distance away.

"Be safe." Kili said as his brother rode off.

"Mother would say that it is you that need to be safe, you were the troublesome one." Fili quipped back.

Kili scoffed, "You always started the trouble." He responded. "Go, before I tell mother for that comment." He said with a laugh.

Leaving Erebor Fili headed towards the wooded land that was almost an half an hour+ ride from Erebor, it was a place he sought solace and a place where he was able to be alone and just be himself for a while. Nothing was expected of him there and there were no responsibilities there that he had to live up to and there was most definitely no one to let down; his mother, his uncle, his brother, the people of Erebor. There were so many people that he could let down and he wished not to do so, he wanted to live up to their expectations and be who he needed to be for his people.

He'd been riding for a while, heading towards the woods but there at the edge of the woods but just as he neared the woods that were his destination Fili was attacked. A party of five Orc's, small for Orc packs but intimidating for one dwarf nonetheless, Orc packs hadn't been seen this close to civilization since the battle a year ago. Fili was holding himself well which is to be expected, he's been training for decades with Dwalin and his uncle and other warriors that his uncle deemed that he needed to spar and learn from, and just because he and Kili were prince's did not mean that any of the warriors – Dwalin especially – would go easy on them. He killed two of them already and gained a few more battle wounds to show for it, but five less orcs in Middle-Earth is more than worth a few scratches and scars.

Fili, snarling fiercely at the Orc he was fighting. "Men an Shmek menu!" With that Fili shoved one of his swords up through the neck of the Orc he was fighting, it's dark body falling to the ground, dead.

There was only two Orc's left to kill, even if there were only two now which is much easier than five Fili was getting tired, when a person was in battle you had comrades with you and fellow warriors who had your back. Fili didn't have any of those and had to fight with all his might and will to kill them or else he'd be the one getting killed and if he ended up being killed his mother would bring him back from Mahal's Hall just to give him a proper tongue-lashing and possibly kill him all over again.

Fili was blocking an attack from one of the last two Orc's that were left, while doing so an odd blue hue of light suddenly surrounded the three of them and the brightness forced Fili to close his eyes so that he wouldn't go blind but when he opened them again not even a moment later he was in unfamiliar surroundings. He was still near woodlands, but they were not like the ones that he had just been in a moment ago, and he could not spot Erebor or Dale in the distance instead there was a sea of trees and a mountain far in the distance. The trees were different even, he could hear a stream or a small river close by and there was nothing such as that close when he was fighting the Orc's.

So shocked by the bright light and suddenly appearing in a land that he did not recognize Fili nearly missed ducking out of the way of an orc blade, ducking and rolling out of the way Fili adjusted his grip on his two swords and dug deep in himself and found a renewed vigor for the fight that was at hand. He would not fall by an orc, not after all the years of yearning for a home within Erebor and especially not in a strange land that was not his own.

"What the fuck!" a feminine voice suddenly burst from the right of Fili.

Blocking the blade that was coming for his face, Fili kicked the orc in the stomach as best he could being a bit shorter than the six foot creature and quickly peered at the owner of the voice. It was a human girl, or woman rather, wearing the strangest of clothes that he had ever seen in his eighty some years and beside her, was a massive dog that was growling menacingly and on her other side a smaller dog that seemed to be cowering behind her.

"My Lady, you must run, get far away to safety!" Fili yelled in the midst of fighting, hoping his fighting would buy her enough time to get away to safety.

Once he said that the other Orc realized that they were not alone and turned his gaze to the woman that was standing stock still, too in shock to move at the sudden appearance of two Orc's and Fili. The Orc wore a malicious grin as he looked over at the woman and made his way over to where she was, ready to swing his dark blade to cut her down. The woman backed away but kept her eyes on the Orc, Fili hoped that she would be able to stay alive long enough for him to finish this one off and then kill the one after her, but his hopes were dashed quite quickly once the woman tripped over something behind her and fell to the ground.

Fili, refusing to allow an innocent woman be harmed by these Orc's fought viciously with the one that was in front of him, determined to kill it before the other one had a chance to harm the woman in any way, who from the looks of it seemed to be in too much shock to heed his warning to run away from where they were battling. Fili, glaring at the Orc twisted himself away from the swinging black metal blade of the Orc and parried the next blow before he shoved his sword deeply up into the body of the Orc, right where the heart lay and then kicked the body off of his sword and away from him. Turning away from the body Fili was about to run towards the woman to kill the Orc that was advancing on her but before he had a chance to the giant dog – the biggest one he's ever seen in his life – that was beside the woman jumped up and latched its powerful jaws onto the Orc's neck. The dog held tightly and didn't let go even when the Orc tried to hit it and shake it loose from its neck, the dog growled and continued and held steadfast to the neck of the Orc. The dog was too massive and big for the orc to get a proper angle to use its blade on the dog, thankfully for the dog's sake.

"GODZILLA! NO!" The woman yelled, attempting to get up and off of the ground where she had fallen when trying to escape from the Orc's advance not but a few minutes prior.

Quickly running as much as Fili could in his injured and tired state, he went and grasped the woman around the waist stopping her from going to her dog and the Orc. "No, you mustn't. You could be harmed and killed by the Orc." He said to her softly into her ear from where he stood behind her, for a human the woman was surprisingly short.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" she questioned incredulously. "That's my dog, I'm not about to let that…that thing kill him." She said and pushed against his muscled arms from decades of training to no avail, his grip like an iron vice. "Let me go!" she said fiercely, attempting to get out of his grasp.

"My lady, please, look." Fili said softly to her, ignoring the pain that the woman was making worse by struggling in his grasp to get free to save her dog from the Orc. "He is bleeding, your dog is killing him. And your dog is much too large for him to get after him with his blade, he cannot harm him." He said soothingly, he himself shocked that the dog was able to take on a full-sized Orc.

The girl seemed to calm down a bit at that, but even so Fili kept his hold around her in case she decided to toss reason away and go towards her dog to help it. She cared deeply for the dog and if somehow the Orc did manage to get the dog off of itself then things would go downhill quite fast and Fili refused to let the woman die, even if it was for a loyal companion such as her dog.

What seemed like forever but was actually only a few minutes, the dog tightened its hold on the Orc's neck – Fili could see more Orc blood seeping from the wounds that the dog inflicted upon it – and the dog which he heard the girl call Godzilla shoved all of its weight on the Orc making it fall to the ground then the dog planted its paws onto the Orc's chest and pulled back with all of its power, and it's teeth still attached to the neck and blood spurting from the wounds. The Orc now laid dead on the ground, the black blood of it seeping onto the ground from its wounds and covering the dog's mouth. The dog immediately started to make a disgusted face and rubbed its face on the grassy ground and eating the grass, trying to get the Orc blood taste out of its mouth.

"Never have I seen a dog such as him, nor one as loyal and protective." Fili stated as he released the girl from his hold and stared at the massive dog in amazement, just the dog's back would reach at least his waist in height.

The girl nodded dumbly at him, saying nothing and instead staring intently at the Orc that laid dead in front of her, too shocked to really respond to what Fili just said to her. The girl looked pale in comparison to when she was fighting him to get to her dog to help him and her eyes wide, more white in her eyes than the dark brown color he could see in them.

"It is dead my lady, the Orc can no longer harm you or your faithful dogs." Fili said softly, one arm holding his side in pain and the other gently touching the girl's shoulder in reassurance.

His touch to her shoulder seemed to snap the girl out of whatever trance like state she had been in because the moment Fili did so she stepped away from him by a few feet and looked between him and the two Orc's a few times, scrunched her face in confusion and settled on looking at Fili. "What…what the, what in the fucking hell just happened? What are those things? What are you? Who are you? How did you get here? I mean Jesus you and those…those things just appeared out of this blue light thingy that just appeared out of nowhere. I was just trying to enjoy the weather and take the dogs on a walk and you all appear on my property what the fucking fuck is fucking happening?" she questioned a bit hysterically and looked at Fili expectantly, her eyes wide and obviously still in shock.

"Orc's my lady, those were Orc's." Fili answered her simply and to the point. "I was attacked by them near my homeland, the blue light took myself and the Orc's from where we were fighting to here. I am sorry that I brought you to harm." He said sincerely, a hand over his heart as he bowed his head in apology.

At that she looked at him as if he had lost his mind, "Orc's? Are you bat-shit crazy?" She questioned disbelieving. "Orc's aren't real. Those are things of fantasy." She said to him.

Hearing that Fili looked at her concerned, "My Lady, I am quite serious. Those were Orc's and then are very real beings that care not what race you are; the race of Men, Dwarf or Elf. They will not hesitate to kill because that is what they are made for, to kill." He said to her.

"Dwarves? Elves?" She asked now and started pacing, looking at him and the orcs and then at her dog who had just killed the Orc, saving her life. "What are you talking about, this isn't a fantasy movie. There are no such things as those things, there are no dwarves, no elves, no Orc's, just plain Humans." She said to him and looked at him in concern.

At that Fili looked at her with a raised brow, "If such things as that is true then how do you explain the two dead Orc's that now lay on your lands, how do you explain myself who just appeared out of thin air, how do you explain my race of being a Dwarf, my Lady?" he asked her, staring into her eyes intently and waiting for her to answer those questions.

The woman opened her mouth to say something, to argue against what he said but she stopped herself and shut her mouth and stayed quiet for a few moments before she answered him.

"I can't, I definitely can't explain those things…Orc's." She said and gestured towards where they laid. "We don't have anything like them here, and their blood is black! I mean that's…that's not normal. I just….I can't explain any of that." She said and shook her head in disbelief. "What the hell is going on?" she said more to herself than him.

While she had been talking Fili took this chance to take a closer look at the strange woman who had come upon him and the Orc's, a girl whose dog managed to save his and the girl's life. Fili was more than certain that if it wasn't for the woman conveniently going out for a walk with her dogs, especially the giant one, that he would be long dead. As Fili noticed earlier, the girl was shorter than him by a couple inches which was surprising considering that she was a human, she had dark brown eyes that stood against her lighter skin color and had shoulder length blonde hair that was lighter than his own and very curly and wild.

Other than her odd clothes – a sleeveless shirt that was blue with odd…creatures on it, and dark green pants that were made of a material he's never seen before and looked as if they were painted upon her person – the strangest thing that he noticed about her was that she had tattoos. Not just a few tattoos which was odd enough on a woman, she had an arm that was all tattoo other than from her wrist to her fingers but from her shoulder and collar bone area down to her wrist were tattoos of all sorts. He's seen tattoos before, Dwalin had quite a handful, but none of them were as detailed or real looking as the ones that were on the woman's left arm. Tattoos were uncommon among the people of Middle-Earth, the only people who really used them being the wildmen and the Dwarves, but even among the dwarves it was few and far between and even stranger to see a woman with tattoos.

"I'm Charlotte," the woman said introducing herself to him, "I prefer Charlie. Only Charlie." She said leveling Fili with a look.

Fili gave a grin and bowed at the waist, "I am Fili, son of Dis." He introduced as he stood back from his bow. "I have never heard a name so strange as yours before." He said to her.

Charlotte shook her head, "If I were you I wouldn't talk about strange names, Fili," she over exaggerated in pronouncing. "Isn't exactly the most normal or common sounding name either."

Fili gave a laugh at that but then groaned in pain when the laugh hurt his insides, he seemed to be much more injured than he first thought he was. Glancing around the land that they were in he looked back at Charlie, "Where are we? What lands are these?" He asked.

"You're literally bleeding right now and you're instead asking where we are?" Charlie questioned with a raised brow. "Your priorities are messed up. You're bleeding from somewhere on your chest, favoring your arm, tons of smaller cuts from the looks of it and you look like you're about to die on your feet dude." She pointed out.

"I am stronger than I look, I may lack height but I don't lack strength." Fili said to her confidently, an arrogant smirk on his face as he glanced down towards her. "But if it concerns you so we shall venture towards your home while you tell me of this land that I am in." he told her. "What is a dude?" he questioned as an afterthought.

Charlie laughed and shook her head, "It's a way to say guy or friends I guess." She answered. "This land, as you called it, is Montana by the way. Over there is my house." She said and gestured towards the two-story home that they were slowly making their way towards, the dogs running around them.

Fili slowly breathed in and out before he responded to Charlie, "Montana. That is a strange name for a land." He said to her.

"You are super judgey with the names of things right now, aren't you?" Charlie joked to him with a smile. "It's a state within a country called the United States. No idea why or how they came up with the name of Montana but that's where we are." She said to him with a half shrug. "Land of mountains and trees and people with an obsession with horses and other kind of animals."

Just as Fili was about to ask another question, he suddenly started to feel light headed, dizzy and all around not the best any longer; it was as if all of the strength had decided to leave him and he was nothing but weak bones. His body was rebelling against him, all the fighting he had done in the last however long he had been fighting the Orc's in his world and this new one that he had appeared in without a moments notice taking a toll on his body. He was utterly exhausted, he fought with all he could but fighting five massive Orc's on one's own took the energy out of you and not to mention the injuries and the fact that he now was in a land that was strange to him.

Fili looked at Charlie and was about to say something but before he had a chance to blackness took over his vision and her questions were muffled as if being said under water and that was the last thing he heard or saw.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ ~ Charlie ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Looking down at the dwarf from another world Charlie gave a heavy sigh at his passed out form not ten feet from the porch steps, he just had to pass out this close to her house didn't he, he couldn't have waited just a few more minutes and passed out on the porch or even the steps. Make it a bit easier on her since she was now the one who had to drag him to her house and up the steps and inside. The dude, Fili, was short but taller than her, but he was not a small twig of a thing, he had muscles from what she could tell and had layers of clothes on and who knows how many weapons. He had a sword so who knew what else he may have on his person.

Her dogs, Godzilla and Ragnar the last of which was a pansy when it came to fighting and confrontation, immediately started licking Fili's face to try and get him to wake up, but Charlie pushed them away, "No, go lay down, off." She said sternly and then attempted to pull Fili towards her house but he barely moved more than a few inches. "You had to pass out here didn't you?" she questioned rhetorically.

Giving a sound of frustration, Charlie took off Fili's swords and the few knives she was able to find and rolled him a bit so that she could take his coat off – she had half a mind to steal it for herself, it was freaking awesome with what she assumed was real fur. Once she had discarded those items from his person and shoved them in one of the chairs in the living room Charlie went back and grasped Fili by the back of one of his shirts and pulled as hard and fast as she could, the idea being that if she did so she could get him closer to the house faster before she had to take a break to get a breather and get some traction. After doing that for about fifteen minutes Charlie finally…..finally, managed to get Fili into the house but now she had to figure out to get his heavy frame onto the couch.

"You can help anytime Fili, really, I won't stop you." Charlie said sarcastically and out of breath as she sat on the ground, her back against the couch and looked and the splayed Fili who was on the ground. "Godzilla, if you can kill an Orc you should be able to get him up and on the couch." She said to which the dog gave her the most offended look she's ever seen a dog give someone. "Rude."

Sighing, Charlie stood up and after almost twenty grueling minutes she managed to get Fili up and onto her sectional couch, at least she wasn't a fan of white furniture otherwise it would be dirty beyond repair. Taking a breather after that adventure Charlie took a good look at Fili; he really did look like he came straight out of the Vikings tv show, maybe a smidge but more advanced than then but the style and design of his clothes very similar. His hair was a golden/ash blonde color, his eyes a deep blue color which had distracted her a bit earlier when he had been talking, he had a few intricate braids in his hair and some of which were mainly to keep some of his hair out of his face and there were beads at the end of said braids to keep them secure. What Charlie liked the most was the fact that his mustache was braided on either side – she had an urge to touch and pet his moustache and beard but held herself back. Charlie appreciated a good beard and 'stache.

Carefully, so not to hurt Fili anymore than he had already been hurt Charlie look what looked like bracers off (she did play video games and Skyrim is very fantasy based), then went to somehow take his multiple tops off which she had no idea what the names for all of them were but was sure there were certain names considering they looked different from one and another. Undershirt? Overshirt? Super long shirt? Who knows. Most normal people would probably take a person who was injured to the hospital to be fixed up but considering Fili didn't even come from this world and the fact that there were two dead Orc's in her yard, Charlie figured it would be best to not take him to a hospital. She did have nursing training and was a year away from being done but decided it wasn't for her and switched to English, she wanted to do something with writing and editing. Charlie may not be able to diagnose if Fili had serious internal damage but she could at least do the basics for him and hope what he said about dwarves being strong was true and that nothing too serious was going on internally otherwise she would have a dead Dwarf on top of the two dead Orc's.

In the end Charlie cleaned off the blood on his face the best she could with him laying on a couch, the wound on his forehead was a bit deeper than she expected but hoped the butterfly bandaids she had kept it closed well enough that it healed without too much scarring. Moving on to his other injuries she cleaned and bandaged up the slice that was on his upper chest, which was four inches long, it was deep but not so much that she wasn't able to stop the bleeding. After she took care of that injury she moved onto his arm that she noticed him favoring earlier and wrapped it tightly, hopefully it was sprained and not broken because that would definitely be outside her set of skills. Once she had finished Charlie grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch and covered Fili with it and hoped that some rest would help him.

"Ragnar, seriously." Charlie chastised her Australian Shepherd dog which had one blue eye and one brown colored eye. "Stop licking him, I get it, he's someone new. Go lay down." She whisper yelled, not wanting to wake Fili up and gestured for the dog to go lay down somewhere. "Damn dog." She said quietly to herself.

Not wanting to leave Fili alone yet, just in case, and Charlie herself needing to calm down and just figure out what the hell was going on because truthfully, she was still confused as fuck. Its not every day that a strange blue light appears out of nowhere and then suddenly in its place is two Orc's and a dwarf fighting, no, definitely not things that happened to most normal people. Charlie wished she could say she was hallucinating or dreaming, that none of this real or that Fili was crazy and not actually from a different world but seeing him and those Orc's appear out of nowhere kinda made her believe that he came from a different world.

Grabbing a book off her bookshelf, Charlie was in the mood for some fantasy considering all that happened that day, maybe gain some insight onto Dwarves and Orcs. Opening the Hobbit, Charlie settled into her overstuffed teal colored chair and flipped through the book briefly before she began to read. It was a couple chapters in when she suddenly dropped the book in shock at the names that were on the page; Fili, Kili, Thorin. Middle-Earth. Fili was from Middle-Earth. Charlie read about him and the quest for Erebor to retake the mountain from the dragon Smaug. He was Fili, nephew and heir to Thorin, King Under the Mountain of Erebor.

"Holy shit." Charlie whisper yelled to herself as she looked over at Fili in shock. "You have got to be shitting me." She said to herself. "This…what the hell is happening?" she asked herself and gave herself a pinch just in case she was in a really vivid and real feeling dream, it wasn't a dream.

Sure, Charlie had always joked to her friends back home in Minnesota that she wished she could join a different world; like Harry Potter, Narnia and of course Middle-Earth, Lord of the Rings had always been one of her favorite books. Just because she joked about it didn't mean that she thought it was an actual possibility, she never thought that time or rather, world travelling was possible, and definitely didn't think that she would ever end up housing a dwarf prince from Middle-Earth. The idea of being able to travel to a different world was just something to dream about, something she realistically knew would never be able to happen but fun to imagine.

Honestly, Charlie had no idea what she was supposed to do or how she was supposed to help the guy…help Fili. Its not like Earth had wizards and witches and magical beings, least of all like the ones that they had in Middle-Earth and the ones that did call themselves wizards and witches who 'practices' magic weren't able to do what they described in Tolkien's books. No one could defeat a Balgrog, no one could heal someone from being near death like the Elves could and she doubted any of them could send a dwarf prince back to Middle-Earth.

Fili was a prince, a prince she had made fun of earlier for his name since he did the same thing to hers. He was a prince but was the least princely acting prince that she had ever met, not that Charlie has ever met another prince before but still all the ones in movies acted all hoity toity or were assholes. Fili acted normal, or at least what she assumed was normal for people from Middle-Earth.

Glancing outside Charlie saw that it was starting to get dark out, enough light to still see and to see where Fili and the Orc's had been fighting, the bodies still laying there out and the open and for any scavenging animals to come and take a bite out of or drag to their den or whatever. It was probably a very bad idea to leave the Orc bodies out there like that, so grudgingly Charlie got up off her comfortable chair and glanced at Fili to make sure he was still breathing before heading out the door.

Getting tarp from the barn which was more like a mini barn since it wasn't nearly as tall or wide as a usual barn, then grabbing a wheelbarrow that Charlie definitely knew wasn't big enough for the two orcs but it was all she had to work with really. Gotta use what she had available and all that, McGuyver it.

"You guys couldn't have been midget Orc's or anything could you, just had to be full sized." Charlie said to herself as she laid a tarp next to the body of the Orc that Godzilla had killed and bend on the ground beside the thing and started to push at it and roll its body into the tarp before she then wrapped the rest of the body in it.

Looking from the tarp wrapped Orc and then to the wheelbarrow and back again Charlie gave a sigh, this was not gonna work how she planned. "So plan A out of the questions." She said to herself and then resigned herself to pulling the tarp with the Orc in it over to the barn to store them until tomorrow after both she and Fili had gotten a full nights rest.

What originally she had hoped would only take a half an hour ended up being a nearly hour project, the Orcs were heavy for one being that they towered six feet if not more, they were muscley adding weight to them, she was doing this on her own and attempting to roll them and then pull them from where they were in the tree line towards the barn. Doing house work was more fun and she hated doing housework.

"This was not how I wanted my day to go today Godzilla," Charlie said to her massive dog as she looked down at him after she locked up the barn and hoped no wild animals tried to get in to get to the dead Orc's. "Next time we're going to a river or a pond when we want to go for a walk." She said with a dark chuckle.

Once the dead Orc bodies thing was dealt with Charlie went inside and just felt completely and utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. All Charlie really wanted to do after she had gotten done editing peoples writing for the day had been to spend time with her dogs, make some food and maybe watch some Netflix – she was in the mood for some 80's movies. Most of that didn't happen, instead while walking with her dogs in the woods a blue light appeared and out of it a Dwarf prince appeared with two Orc's one of which tried to kill her. Even though Charlie barely had much to eat other than the sandwich she made herself earlier she decided that she was done with the day and wanted to take a very long ass bath with as many bubbles as humanly possible and then was going to go to bed and deal with everything else tomorrow.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

This story has been in my mind for a while and decided to write it, it's a bit different than most of the other ones I've seen out there so hopefully you all like it!

Khuzdul translations:

Men an Shmek menu: I will kill you


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Middle-Earth: Kili ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Fili was more than a few hours late; it's been more along the lines of five hours since Kili had last seen his brother ride off on his pony and him being worried was an understatement. He knew the path his brother took when he wanted to get away from everything because Kili himself sometimes went with him when they both just needed to be two dwarf brothers and nothing but that, no Prince's or heir's of Thorin or anything of that sort. Never before when Fili has gone off had he ever bee this late before, the ride would only be for a few hours but this is getting beyond excessive and already he's nearly rouses suspicion from their mother and uncle and a few other dwarves who knew him and Fili well, soon it was going to get to the point where he would have to tell his family what Fili did and that he hasn't come back as of yet. At evening meal Fili's missing presence would especially be noticed, it was the one time when Kili would not be able to cover for his older brother.

It wasn't the fact that his mother and uncle both may yell at him, what worried Kili the most is that his brother may be in trouble or worse – dead. Deciding to look in the stables to see if Fili had come back and hadn't found him yet to tell him Kili headed down towards where they kept the ponies, if Fili's pony was there then that meant he should be within Erebor somewhere.

"Hrut." Kili greeted the older dwarf whom took care of the stables and ponies within it. "Have you seen Fili's pony?" he questioned him.

The older dwarf, more grey than brown-haired as he once had been in his youth looked at the younger dwarf, "I have not prince Kili, I am sorry." He said to him.

Hearing that Kili pressed his lips together in worry and frustration, just as he was about to turn and go to find his uncle and mother a very familiar pony came trotting in but sans rider. Fili nowhere to be seen and the pony looking worse for wear and with frightened eyes.

"Is this not Prince Fili's pony, Prince Kili?" Hrut questioned as he took the reigns of the nervous pony.

Kili nodded silently and looked over the pony, he spotted blood on the pony but it wasn't red it was black. Orc's blood. Fili had run into Orc's while out riding, Orc's which haven't been seen this close to Erebor since they took Erebor back from the dragon Smaug. This was not good, definitely not good but all he could do was go to Thorin to inform him of what has happened and go out and search for Fili and hope that he lived and fought off the Orc's.

Quickly Kili ran off from the stables and up and further into Erebor, heading for the office in which his uncle conducted his business and did his paper work and read through trade deals and where he did everything that included being a King. Not caring that he was running haphazardly throughout the halls, some of the people calling after him and questioning what was wrong and even heard Oin and Gloin who he passed yell out to him but he ignored them all, he needed to get to his uncle to tell him of Fili. He did not care if he knocked dwarves over or ran into things in the halls, Kili needed to get to his uncle so that they may go out to where he knew Fili liked to go to see if he lived or if he has perished from the fight with the Orc's.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Kili yelled as he barged through the doors not caring if he was in a meeting or talking with the advisors. "Thorin!" he yelled not even sparing to look to see if there were other people in the room.

Thorin and his mother both looked up from the desk that Thorin sat at, Thorin going over papers of some sort and Dis talking with him quietly about what was on the papers in front of them. "Kili," Dis reprimanded, hands on her hips with narrowed eyes at her youngest son. "You cannot just barge in here whenever you wish and interrupt your uncle. You know he was going over important papers, what reason do you have to interrupt us now?" she questioned and looked at him expectantly.

"I-" he said and stopped, he was prepared to tell his uncle about what happened with Fili but not his mother, he did not wish to tell his mother that Fili may be dead or at least mortally wounded.

"Speak Kili." Thorin commanded, looking at him impatiently and more than a little exhausted from the duties that are piling up on him.

Kili swallowed his nerves and began to explain, "It's Fili. He's left on his pony to get time away and I told him if anyone ask's I would make an excuse why he couldn't be found but it's been over five hours. He was only going to be gone for a few hours but he is late and his pony returned not but fifteen minutes ago with Orc blood on it." He rushed out in one breath and waited with baited breath to see what his mother and uncle would have to say.

Thorin stood abruptly, "What do you mean he left? Why would he leave the mountain?" he questioned. "He has no reason to."

"He wanted to feel like he was just Fili and not Prince Fili of Erebor, heir to the throne. He wanted to not think about his responsibilities for a little while Uncle." Kili answered honestly, "Amad," he said softly looking at his mother. "I'm sorry amad, I'm so sorry." He said as he looked at her and reached out to grab her hands and knelt on the ground in front of her and pressed his forehead to her hands. "I thought he would be fine, we've both done it a few times and never has there ever been Orc's close. I'm so so so sorry amad."

Dis looked at her youngest and pulled a hand from his grasp and gently ran a hand through his hair, he was distraught and though she was mad and appalled at Kili and Fili for this they needed to focus on what they needed to do next. They needed to go out there and look for Fili, to bring him home and heal him if he was injured and if he was….lost to them then they will do what's right.

Dis looked from her kneeling son and over to her older brother, "Thorin, you will go out and find my son." She all but demanded, she may not be the ruler of Erebor but she was Thorin's sister and a mother and no king will disobey her on this. "Take Kili, Dwalin and whoever else you need but you will go out right now and find my son or so help me Mahal I will have vengeance on you." She spoke.

"Of course sister," Thorin said and headed towards the door before looking at Kili who still knelt before his mother. "Meet me in the stables in fifteen minutes Kili." He said simply and then walked away.

Once Thorin had left the office Dis looked down to her youngest and pulled him up by his arms, "Come now, up Kili. Do not kneel. You will find your brother you must. I need you to be strong for me my son, if you do not then what is holding me still?" she questioned and kissed Kili's cheek tenderly. "Now go and meet your uncle so that you may leave and find Fili." She said and pushed him through the door.

Once Kili had stepped through the door and out of sight was when Dis had left her true emotions show, emotions she could not allow her youngest son to see. Kili was already feeling at fault even though it isn't his fault that Fili left the mountain to get away for a while and that he did not return when he was supposed to, none of it is Kili's fault but she could tell he was blaming himself. Sitting down in Thorin's recently vacated chair Dis sighed and closed her eyes, she prayed to all the gods but to Mahal especially that Fili is found and that he is unharmed, that the Orc's did not do to him as they did to her husband, younger brother and grandfather. Their family had enough death in it as it was and she is not sure how she would be able to survive if she lost one of her sons.

Dis wishes she could go with them now but there needs to be someone at Erebor at all times and Dis may know her way around a sword she hasn't kept it up over the decades and she would not be the most useful in a fight if they do happen upon more Orcs. No, unfortunately it would be best for her to stay here in Erebor and wait for news from her family on the state of her son Fili once they found him.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Thorin and Kili ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Thorin had gathered a few trustworthy dwarves to go with himself and Kili to find Fili; Dwalin, Balin and Gloin. If they were going to come upon Orc's they were the ones to trust and they knew what Fili looked like and would be able to spot him. He was angry, Thorin was beyond angry at both of his nephews who apparently have been leaving the mountain to go off on their own more than a twenty-minute ride from Erebor. They do it to get away which as much as Kili and Fili doubted, Thorin did understand as he had been a prince at one point and had many things he was required to learn as well but that did not mean he escaped the mountain to get away from them. He does suppose that he may be laying on the responsibilities a bit more than he could at the moment, they have only been in the mountain a year and Fili and Kili are used to freedom of not actually having a kingdom and not needing to do so many things and learn so many things all at the same time. They've never truly been in a kingdom and lived in a kingdom as Thorin and Dis have, they were taught what it meant being heir's and princes to Erebor but it was not the same as it was for him. Things were more laid back and lenient because they did not have a land and a kingdom of their own, they did not think they would ever regain Erebor back from a dragon but they did and now they were forcing so many things to be learned by the lads without easing them into things. The stress was getting heavy on their shoulders and they wanted to escape, to have things momentarily be like they had once been.

"You know that I am angry Kili." Thorin said to his nephew who he was riding beside, they were nearing where Fili and Kili went when they left the mountain. "Angry that you two kept things from me, leaving the mountain is dangerous even if you two can fight and know how to handle yourselves. What would happen if it had been both of you that were attacked and no one would know for a few more hours still. We would have then lost the both of you."

Kili looked at him accusingly, "You talk as if we've lost Fili, that he's not just injured." He said loudly gaining the attention of Dwalin, Balin and Gloin but they go back to their hushed conversation instead. "Fili is not gone, I can feel it."

Thorin looked at his nephew sadly, "And I hope to Mahal that that is true Kili but I cannot bear the thought of having hope and being disappointed, I cannot do that to myself. I've done it too much in the past with people I have lost and wished not to. I can't do it now." He said to him honestly.

Kili stayed quiet for a while after that before he spotted something by the tree line, it looked like an Orc body. "There! An Orc!" he yelled before urging his pony to run towards where the dead orc's lay, hope in his heart.

Once he was close enough Kili jumped from his pony and began to inspect the Orc and the one's around him, looking around the area the fight with Fili took place looking for any clue that he may be close and just injured and unable to let them know that he was there. Thorin, Dwalin, Balin and Gloin joined him not long after he hopped off of his horse, assessing the area that the fight happened in.

"At least three Orc's, from the tracks I suspect more." Gloin said as he crouched low towards the ground his red beard nearly touching the ground. "There's blood here, not just Orc blood. Fili's too." He said to them and stood back up and showing his fingers that had red blood on it.

"I know he's not dead." Kili said darkly, going off and looking further away from where the main fight between his brother and the Orc's happened.

Thorin looked after his nephew and sighed before looking at his kin, the blood wasn't a good sign either was Fili being missing no body or weapons to be found. He understood Kili's determination, he has been in his position before, a sibling hurt and injured and not wanting to accept that they are dead.

"What do you need Thorin?" Dwalin asked gruffly, his arms folded across his chest looking at his longest friend and waiting for orders on what he needs from them.

"We search the area and see if there are any signs of other Orc's he may have fought or…or for signs of a body." Thorin said thick with emotion, not wanting to admit that that was where this seemed to be going but without a body they will never know for sure.

Dwalin nodded, "Then we shall search." He said. "Come brother." He said to Balin.

Balin looked at Thorin, resting a hand on his arm. "We will at the least find answers." He said and went off with his brother.

Thorin went off to search for Fili, hoping to find any scrap of evidence of what might have happened to him or if some other being or people picked him up. What confused Thorin the most was the fact that there was no sign of Fili anywhere other than the blood that they had found near the opening of the tree line; when Orc's attacked they didn't take any prisoners or at least not the ones that they've dealt with as of late, they would behead you and put your head on a stake near where people could see and where your kin would be able to find you. They wouldn't just take him alive, especially not with all of the weapons that Fili tended to hide on his person.

"We need to go further." Kili said after they had searched a good distance from the main scene of the attack.

"Kili, laddie I don't think-" Dwalin started but was cut off by Kili with a fierce glare.

"Don't think what Dwalin?!" Kili yelled. "Don't think that Fili is alive? Well he is, I can feel it. I know he is alive, we just need to find him." He said stubbornly. "You can stop searching if you wish but I'm going to keep on looking. I don't care."

Thorin sighed, "Expand the area and look, we look until nightfall then we leave back for Erebor." He said sternly, doing so only for Kili's sake.

Unfortunately expanding the area to search for Fili did not help things, they searched the area looking for sign of Orc's or Fili but it turned up nothing, they searched in places that would be easy for a dwarf to hide and even looked up in tree's as well but in return they received naught. All they have gained from this was Fili's blood on the ground, one of his dagger's and disappointment and heartbreak. All through the quest for Erebor there had been close calls on many of their lives, the line of Durin nearly died during the quest and the battle after getting to Erebor but they all lived through the quest and not one life was lost. Now, Erebor theirs once again but they lose a prince to an outing and a run in with a small pack of Orc's with no sign of where Fili could be. Nothing to bury if he is dead and nothing letting them know if he is just lost and injured.

"He's not dead until we have a body." Kili said stubbornly. "I will continue to come here until I find him, I refuse to acknowledge that he's dead because without a body he isn't. He's just….somewhere far away."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Earth: Montana : Fili ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It was a fight to wake up, even more so to make his eyes open to see where he was because whatever he lay on did not feel like his usual bed or even the woods he had been in before. Mayhap his brother had found him and brought him to the healing rooms. He was eager to wake up, for one he was hungry and he wished to tell his brother of the strange dream he had about a blue light appearing and bringing him to a strange world with a strange girl in the most peculiar clothes who had dogs he'd never seen before.

Managing to pry his eyes open Fili immediately closed them with a groan, the bright natural light filtering in from the window nearly blinding him. Blinking rapidly, attempting to adjust his eyes to the light Fili was finally able to open his eyes without feeling as if the sun had a personal vendetta against him. Glancing around the room is when Fili realized that he did not experience a dream, that the woman and the dogs were real, that the strange light was real and that he was in fact in a new and strange world. Looking down at himself Fili raised a brow in confusion, he no longer wore his tunic, jerkin or coat, his trousers were still on his person but that was the only thing and his other clothes and boots were nowhere to be seen. There was a large, strange bandage covering the wound on his upper chest; it was stark white and made of a strange fabric that was not linen but similar, and it had sticky clear edges securing the bandage to his skin. He also noticed a bandage that went from his palm to mid forearm, the arm that he had been favoring after the fight with the Orc's. Pushing himself into a sitting position Fili immediately hissed in pain and regretted that movement, his side and arm that was bandaged protested.

Glancing at the table in front of him Fili nearly jumped, a rather large and fluffy grey and white cat with huge blue colored eyes was sitting and staring right at him. Fili has seen cats in his travels through Middle-Earth but never one such as this, it was the prettiest and most prissy looking cat he has ever seen before. Next to the cat was a folded piece of paper with odd frayed edges that had his name on it.

"You may be a pretty cat but if you bite me I will end you." Fili threatened looking into the blue eyes of the cat before he reached forward for the note.

It was from Charlie, explaining that she patched him up the best she could and that she left a shirt for him at the end of the couch, and if he was hungry she left some food with water and some medicine in the kitchen for him.

"Such strange paper." Fili said as he studied the piece of paper Charlie had written on, it looked as if it was lined from top to bottom and had clean edges except for one side and was the whitest piece of paper that he has ever seen. "Strange quill markings too." He said looking at the writing, never seeing a quill leave marks like the one Charlie used.

Laying it back on the table Fili grabbed the shirt from the end of the couch and stared at it for a few moments, normally a shirt was simple to put on and very straightforward but this was a different world and the clothing was peculiar, the shirt that Charlie left him included. It was a deep blue color and the sleeves ended a few inches above his elbows, the material was the softest that he has ever felt before and there was a wide hole at the top for his head to fit through but nothing like the tunics he was familiar with. How was he to know which way was the front and which was the back, there was no lacing or a slit to show that it was the front. Such strange clothes this world had.

Putting the shirt on Fili pulled at it, it was tighter to his body than he thought a shirt should be, he much preferred his looser tunic compared to this. He headed towards a light blue-green door and hoped that it was the way to the kitchens of this home, looking inside it looked similar to a kitchen but nothing close to the ones he was used to. There was a large table with chairs around it, cupboards and hanging pots and pans and a strange looking stove but the other items within this kitchen were strange to him; a tall device with double doors on it across from the strange stove, a black shiny box with numbers on it and a few other items as well. Ignoring the strange things Fili went for the sandwich that was left for him on the counter in the middle of the kitchen and looked strangely at the 'medicine' that was by the water that was left for him.

"This is not an herb or ointment." Fili said looking at the small white medicine, it was shaped like a bead but smaller and was supposedly supposed to help with his aches and pain from the fight with the Orc's. "How can such a small thing take the pain away?" he questioned to himself but swallowed the medicine and grimaced at the taste.

Fili ate the food that Charlie was gracious enough to make for him and there were many different flavors that he was unable to recognize other than there were meats and at least some sausage in it. Going back to the main room that he had woken in, Fili took in the sights of the room and was just confused the more he looked around. He recognized what the room was and that it was a main room but it was different – strange. There were things that he recognized but they were strange compared to the furniture that he was used to back home but he knew what a bookcase, a chair though it was much larger and cushioned than any chair he'd seen before, a low table, and the couch he had been sleeping on but vastly different. Glancing at the bookshelf Fili decided the safe option was to look through the titles and see if there were any that may be similar or the same as the ones in Middle-Earth but instead they were all strange. One of which he made the mistake of picking up to flip through and read a bit in it but he quickly shut it and shelved it back in its place, it was definitely the sort of book that a person should read in the privacy of their room and not have on display for all to happen upon.

Deciding to wait to look through the book selection until he knew exactly which were safe and which were more…exotic, Fili decided to look through the rest of the main room. There was a strange large rectangle shaped think black box in front of the couch that most of the furniture seemed to be pointed towards, there were other contraptions around this black box that Fili didn't recognize or understand what they were needed for. There were paintings and little knickknacks in the living room as well, personalizing it to the woman's style.

There were paintings on the walls and sitting on the table and other spots throughout the living room, studying them Fili realized that a few were of Charlie from when she was young up until now and they were very realistic, barely looking like a painting. Reaching up and grabbing on that was on a mantle Fili looked at it and smiled, it was of Charlie when she was younger maybe around the human age of five smiling widely with a man with blonde hair such as hers but less curly and the two were smiling holding fish on a strange fishing pole that he had never seen in his years. Putting the picture back Fili looked at another one and saw that it was Charlie as she was now with an older woman who must be her mother, another girl who had straight dark hair and looked to be a few inches taller than Charlie but her father missing.

While Fili was looking at the paintings Charlie had come into the room and watched him as he was studying the ones that were up around the room, some of her with her family when she was younger, some from when she was in college with a few friends and some close to her age now with her family. She imagined that Middle-Earth didn't have pictures like they did here, it being a world that is very medieval based and having no cameras and all.

"Photos of some of my friends and family." Charlie spoke and gave a small giggle when she saw Fili jumped, not expecting to hear her.

Fili turned, "Lady Charlie, I am sorry. I was just looking around your home. I did not mean to-" Fili began to apologize but Charlie cut him off before he could finish.

Charlie waved off his apology, "No worries Fili, it's all good. I wouldn't have them up if I didn't expect people to look at them. That's my mom and sister there," she said gesturing towards the one he was just looking at, a picture of an older woman with short, darker brown hair and a bit tanner skin than Charlie and thinner, and a woman with long brown hair who looked very similar to the older woman.

Fili studied them, "You do not look like them." He said.

"Nah, I look more like my dad." She said and pointed at another picture.

The picture was of Charlie when she was younger, maybe eight or nine years old with a man who looked very similar to her who had curly hair the same shade of blonde as her but not nearly as curly as hers but his eyes were lighter than her dark brown ones. The man was grinning and crouched beside Charlie who was standing up and grinning widely holding a strange fishing pole in hand, a fish hanging off the end of it.

"I can see the similarities, I too look more similar to my father than I do to my mother." Fili answered.

Charlie smiled at him, "He took me fishing, I sucked horribly at it but I loved that I got to spend time and hang out with him and that he took me with him to do something he loved." She said with a sad smile on her face as she looked at the picture of her dad but shook her head and looked at Fili. "No Lady Charlie, just Charlie is fine."

"As you wish."

When Fili said that it made Charlie suddenly have the urge to watch the Princess Bride, shaking her head of her random thoughts she focused on what was going on in front of her. "How are you feeling? The Tylenol help?" she questioned curiously.

"Tyenall?" Fili asked.

"Tylenol. The medicine I left for you." She questioned.

Fili nodded at her in understanding, "Yes, I did take the strange medicine. Such a small thing to take for pain, truthfully I did not believe that it would ease the pain but I was surprisingly wrong. It has not disappeared but it eased it much." He spoke honestly. "You have my thanks."

Charlie had a feeling that there were going to be a lot of things that Fili was going to find strange about living here in modern Earth compared to Middle-Earth; the advancements and technologies strange enough let alone the people and clothing choice options. Hell, Charlie hoped that Fili was able to semi-adjust to living here and hoped that not too many things freaked him out and that's not even considering what he may do or say when she eventually took him to the closest town – it'd be cruel to keep him at her house all the time. Fili will eventually need to learn how to act and interact with the outside world and towns and cities, though they did live at least thirty minutes from the closest small town and almost an hour from the closest major city.

"Anyways," Charlie said looking him over to see if there were any injuries she missed in all the hecticness. "Any injuries you notice now that you're awake and more alive and not passed out on the ground, which for your information I had to drag your heavy ass up the steps of my house and then figure out how to get you on the couch." She said and pointed at him accusingly in a joking manner. "I nearly died."

Fili gave a small laugh, "Never have I heard such language from a lady!" he said, a joking smile on his face when he said it.

At that Charlie gave a snort, enjoying the banter and joking she and Fili were using on one and another. It's been a while since she's had a person to do that with really, especially someone to do that with in person. A lot of her friends from college have drifted and have lives and families of their own or have changed from the people they were, and the person that Charlie was best friends with and used to talk and act like that with lived in a completely different country making the time zone thing hard.

"You are gonna have a hard time if you expect most females here to act like proper ladies Fili, this is definitely the wrong world to have come to if you wanted that." Charlie said to him as she crossed her arms. "We females here on Earth aren't like the ones you are used to back home."

Fili grinned cheekily at her, "I knew the moment you said 'what the fuck' when you first laid eyes on the Orc's. You are most definitely different from most human females I have run across."

Which was true, Charlie was different than what he was used to expecting of human females and even some dwarven females. She spoke what was on her mind without caring what others would think, she spoke with confidence and swore, and she had tattoos and hated to be called Lady. That is not to mention that she didn't look like the women of the race of Men; she was rather short for one and had wild and curly hair.

Charlie looked up at him, "I'm going to take that as a compliment." She spoke.

"It was meant as one," Fili replied. "I thank you La…Charlie, for your hospitality and willingness to help me." He said bowing to her as much as his ribs would allow him without causing pain and gently kissed her along her knuckles.

Charlie kind of blanked when he did that, men definitely didn't kiss girls on the knuckles anymore. That was only for the movies. "Uh, yeah, of course. No problem." She said to him a bit distracted by how deep blue his eyes were. "But is there anything else I missed?" she asked him.

"I do believe my ribs are sprained, I think wrapping them up would be too bad of a choice." He said to her.

"Sure, let me go hunt down an ace bandage wrap and I can do that, just take your shirt off." Charlie ordered him. "Oh, actually I think I have one in the kitchen junk drawer." She said and before Fili had a chance to respond to any of what she just said Charlie was off into the kitchen to get this 'ace bandage wrap'.

Glancing around the main room once again Fili sighted, being here in this strange land was going to take time to get used to and to learn what the strange things were while he was here. The things he saw did not exist in Middle-Earth and were made of materials that he's never seen before in his life and felt peculiar and odd. Fili felt that the hardest part of being here for however long he was here was going to be to distinguish what certain things and phrases Charlie said meant. A few of the things she's already said and spoken of has confused him greatly and he has only known her less than a day. This world was a peculiar place.

"Found it!" Charlie sign-songed as she came through the kitchen door and looked at Fili who still had his shirt on. "You do know for this to work that you do need to take the shirt off or at least lift it, kinda pointless to wrap your ribs through your shirt." She said to him.

"Charlie, I think perhaps I should have someone else do it. A brother or husband or your father." He said to her. "I do not know if it is appropriate to have a woman wrap a male's ribs, to see me in such a state." He said to her.

Charlie gave him a pointed look, "Recall the conversation we had five minutes ago, a lot of women here in this world aren't like the one's you're used to?" she questioned, to which he nodded. "Well this conversation," she said gesturing to the two of them. "Is included. Women don't need permission from their husbands, brothers, fathers or whoever to do things. Including helping a dwarf get half naked so they can wrap their injured ribs. Besides, who is it do you think that took your shirt off in the first place." She asked him.

"I, well-" Fili started to say.

"Exactly," Charlie replied. "Now, I'm no healer or nurse or whatever you call them in your world but I know enough to wrap ribs so off with the shirt!" she commanded looking at him expectantly, hand on her hips. "If you're really worried about your modesty I can always get you a sheet." She smirked, barely containing her amusement.

Fili shook his head at Charlie's antics and joking manner, briefly reminded of Kili. "You cheeky girl." He said and carefully pulled his shirt off, the movement bothering his ribs more than he cared to admit.

"It makes life more fun." Charlie joked before she began to look over Fili's would on his chest to make sure that even though the slice wasn't too deep that it wasn't getting worse for wear or turning an angry red, redressing the gash she moved on to wrapping his ribs.

While Charlie began to wrap up Fili's, the said dwarf was lost in thought about the things that had transpired in the last day and what being in this world meant…in this Montant place and how he would get back home. Fili didn't dare even think about not being able to get home, that simply wasn't an option he believed to be true, something brought him to this land and since that happened there was a way that he could return. What Fili needed to do, with Charlie's help, was find a Wizard or an Elf possibly, he was still a bit reluctant to work with Elves but they held powerful magic that could be of help to his plight.

"So," Charlie began while she was wrapping Fili's ribs. "Middle-Earth, huh? That's where you're from?" she questioned, glancing up at his face and then back to what she was doing.

Fili winced as the area she was wrapping around was especially sore, "Yes," he said with a nod and gave her a curious look as to how she knew about Middle-Earth. "I am from Erebor, one of the dwarven kingdoms. This land…this place feels different than my home, it doesn't feel right." He said, furrowing his brow and struggling how best to describe what he meant by that. I do not know why or how I know that, but it is true nonetheless." He spoke. "How do you know of Middle-Earth?" he asked curiously. "I thought such things as myself, Elves and Orc's did not exist here. If you do not know of those things how do you know of Middle-Earth?"

Charlie gave a sigh as she finished wrapping up his ribs and securing the ends so it didn't loosen or fall off of Fili, gesturing for him to put his shirt back on Charlie leaned back against the teal chair she'd been sitting on while wrapping Fili's ribs up.

"We don't."

Fili looked over at Charlie in confusion, his deep blue colored as staring into her own brown ones searchingly, looking for an answer to her statement and what she meant by that. "Lad…Charlie, if you don't have such creatures here in this world then how came you to know of Middle-Earth?" he questioned. "Have there been others like me? Is there a way for me to go back?"

Seeing the wide, hopeful look on Fili's face pained Charlie and made her dread what she needed to tell him. Charlie hated that she had to do this, hated that Fili had to go through this, that he was brought to Earth and that he was separated from everything he knew and most of all she hated that she was about to smash any hope he had for seeing his home and his family. Charlie needed to be straight with him and tell him that there was no way to get home, that this world had no magic and ontop of that she needed to be truthful and tell him that in her world Middle-Earth is just fiction, a story a man wrote eighty some years ago. Charlie just hoped that he would accept her explanation without too much anger or wanting to cause damage to her home with his many, many weapons. Seriously, is Fili the Mary Poppins of weapons, she swore she found a good dozen or more on his person.

"Fili," Charlie said seriously, looking at him in the eyes as sat down on the edge of the couch across from her. "There's a lot of things I have to tell you about this whole…weird and fucked up situation." She said and wished that she could have put off telling him for a few days, let him adjust to first being in a new world before throwing information at him that he more than likely is going to hate and not want to believe. "You're going to hate most of it, you're not going to want to believe me but you deserve to know the truth. About this world and how I know about Middle-Earth." She said to him and saw him look at her curiously and with confusion. "Just, please, be prepared."

Fili looked at the strange woman who decided to help him without asking for anything in return, who was willing to help him and explain things to him and who didn't just leave him to die from his wounds. Nodding at Charlie, Fili waited for her to tell him how she knew of Middle-Earth and what she knew of him getting back home.

Channeling her inner strength, Charlie began to explain everything she knew. "Here in my world, just Earth, your…your world is fiction. A world created over eighty some years ago. A world that had Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Dragons, Orcs and all of the other creatures that are in the worlds and the adventures that the people of Middle-Earth went on. The first one was about a company of dwarves, a hobbit and wizard going on an adventure to get the dwarves their mountain back from a dragon." She said and slowly say Fili's face transform from the friendly, somewhat cocky dwarf before to this, his eyes dimming and an unreadable expression on his face. "I read the book, but its been a few years so when you first introduced yourself I didn't recognize your name right away and who you were." She said and paused a moment to take a breath and to look him in his eyes. "Fili, I'm…I'm sorry. I know that this is definitely not what you were expecting to hear but that is how I know about your world."

Fili was dead still and quiet after Charlie revealed that but of information to him, saying nothing and staring off at nothing his mind working at a mile a minute to process all of what she just said to him. He was angry, he was frustrated, he was in disbelief at the fact that the reason she knew about Middle-Earth is because it was written in a book, was a story. That the people here in this world that his home world was nothing but fiction, that the people were not real beings with feelings but something that the writer had created up. He was not a character in a book with no freewill, he and his family and his kin, they were real as anyone could be and made their own choices and decisions. They were not a part of a storyline of some silly book. He was flesh and blood, he could bleed and get hurt and feel pain.

"The book." Fili stated flatly, looking not Charlie's eyes. "I want to see the book."

At that Charlie hesitated, "Fili, I don't think that's the best idea. I mean what if-" she began to say.

"The book!" he yelled a bit harshly, Charlie jumping back into the chair at the suddenness of it.

She nodded at, "Okay, okay. Just, one second." She said and stood up from her chair and went to her bookshelf and grabbed the book that she had the previous night and brought it over to Fili and handed it over to him wordlessly.

Grabbing the book from her Fili didn't waste anytime in opening it and flipping through the pages and skimming the words on the page, he took twenty minutes and flipped through the book reading bits and pieces and sometimes whole pages. He looked through the whole book, needing to know if everything written within it was true, if it was true word for word compared to what he and his companions went through a year ago.

"Fili?" Charlie questioned, reaching out gently but then retracting her hand, thinking better of it at the current moment.

"It lies." Fili hissed, tossing the book down on the coffee table in front of him. "It says we die, that I died, my brother and my uncle. That we never had a chance to see Erebor restored. It's a lie." He said vehemently, looking at the offending book in disgust. "We didn't die during the battle. We all lived, not one of our company was lost to us during the quest and we all helped rebuild Erebor and were able to see it built back to its former glory. Yet this excuse of a book claims that we have died, that Dain took over Erebor as king. Who is this writer? Where is he? I wish to speak with him." Fili said looking at Charlie intently.

"That's going to be impossible, the book was written more than eighty years ago and the writer died forty or so years ago." Charlie answered hesitantly.

Charlie wished there was a way she could have put off telling him all this, to let him adjust to being in this world but unfortunately that was not so. Fili wanted to know what he wanted to know and Charlie wasn't going to keep that from him no matter what, one thing she would have held off on was showing him the book and telling him that he died. In her defense she didn't know that the reclamation of Erebor had already happened, that they had already defeated Smaug and had the battle. Charlie is so in over her head that it isn't even funny, she would love a drink right now. She wasn't even finished telling him everything yet.

Fili sighed heavily and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, he felt a headache coming on from finding this out. All Fili had wanted yesterday was to get out and away from his responsibilities as prince for just an hour or so, to be just Fili for a while and not have to think of duties, training, lessons from his uncle about what is expected of being a future king, or lessons from others about running a kingdom and about the politics of Middle-Earth among many, many other things. He just wanted time to breathe. Instead of getting any of that Fili got much more than he planned far; attacked by a group of Orc's, a strange blue light magicked him away from his home world and to Charlies, and now she is telling him that Middle-Earth isn't real in her world, that they are stories and that he, Kili and Thorin all died in battle.

"Tell me there is at least a way for me to return home, that there is some being or person in this world who can help me and send me back?" Fili asked sounding emotionally exhausted.

Hearing that Charlie resisted the urge to sigh heavily once again, she had thought, rather stupidly, that him finding out that his home world was a just fiction here that he would realize that there wasn't a way for him to return home. That was no apparently so. Now, yet again, it was up to her to tell him that it was impossible to go back to his world, that there was no one in this world who could even think about doing what he was talking about.

"No, Fili, there isn't." Charlie answered him honestly, speaking softly to him with a saddened look on her face at that fact. "There are no wizards, witches, elves, dwarves, hobbits or dragons or any magical creatures of any sort here."

Fili closed his eyes briefly, taking a calming breath before looking at Charlie again. "You are telling me that I was brought to this world by magic but this world contains no magic and has no way to return me to where I came from?" he questioned, he already knew the answer but needed to hear it out loud.

"No Fili, there's no magic and no one with magic that can send you back, there are only humans here in this world," Charlie told him. "We are advanced past what your world can do; we've travelled to space to see the moon and other planets," she almost laughed at his incredulous look when she said that. "We have advanced far in the medical field, er healing, but we have never travelled back or forward in time or to a different world completely. There are limits to our technology."

Charlie wished there was some kind of hope that she could give Fili, to give him to feel hope to seeing his home one day, that there may be people out there who could get him home but unfortunately she couldn't do that. She wished she could tell him that there were people who called themselves witches and wizards or warlocks but then she would have to disappoint him all over again by telling that they weren't able to even come close to what people in Middle-Earth could do. That the people in Earth only thought they did magic.

"No magic in this world?" Fili asked quietly, amazed and horrified at the same time at that statement. "No magical beings at all?"

"Only humans," Charlie said quietly as she watched Fili's reaction.

Fili cupped is hands over his mouth in shock, closing his eyes for a moment trying to comprehend what he was told and what it meant for him. "I'll never see my family again, my kin, my home." He said to himself, his voice cracking a bit at the statement.

Even though she only met Fili the previous day Charlie wanted to cry for him, for everything that he lost in not even a twenty-four-hour period. "I'm so sorry Fili, so, so, sorry. I wish there was a way to get you back home but there isn't. I'm so sorry." She said, apologizing over and over.

Fili wished to be alone right now so he could mourn the losses that he never expected he was going to have to mourn; his world lost to him, and though his family still lived and breathed they were unreachable. "I'm tired, is there a place where I may retire and sleep?" he asked Charlie, his grief-stricken eyes staring into her own.

Charlie was about to say something about him barely being awake for all that long but kept her mouth shut for that and nodded at him, "Of course, follow me." She said and gestured for him to follow her up the set of stairs, reaching the second level of her home and then heading down the hallway and opening the second door on the right. "Here," she said to him and stepped out of the way so Fili could go inside the room.

"Thank you." Fili said somberly, barely even sparing a glance at Charlie.

"My room is the last one on the left at the end of the hallway if you need anything during the night, don't be afraid to wake me up if you need to. Okay." Charlie said to Fili who just nodded at her without responding to what she said, she had a feeling he wouldn't be asking her for help even if he needed it. "The bathroom is right across the hall if you have a need to…relieve yourself." She said awkwardly. "There's also a shower…er, bath but I can show you how to use that tomorrow." She told him and stared at him for a few moments before she stepped closer and cupped his cheek gently, forcing him to look at her a bit surprised at her audacity. "You will always be welcome to stay and live here as long as you need." Charlie told him and walked away back downstairs to the living room to watch some TV and forget about all that has happened in the last two days or so.

Charlie flung herself on her couch, her cat Freddy Mercury, meowing in offense before running off to some other part in the house. Turning the TV on Charlie put a Shark movie on – her favorite sea animal – but as much as she loved shark movies she wasn't really able to pay much attention to what was going on in the movie, she was too distracted by everything.

Yesterday Charlie had just wanted to go for a walk in the woods with Godzilla and Ragnar after a full day of editing clients writing, instead she got a dwarf prince and two Orc's from Middle-Earth landing in her yard out of nowhere. How was a person supposed to react to this shit; Orc's and Dwarves, and not to mention all the creatures that are in Middle-Earth are real, maybe not in Charlie's world but they're real in Middle-Earth where Fili came from. Truthfully Charlie was still kind of freaking out about everything that has happened since yesterday, about the Orc and the fact that she had two dead Orc's in her barn still (she really needed to take care of them), about the fact that Middle-Earth is real, maybe not exactly like the books considering Fili and his uncle and brother lived past the reclaiming of Erebor but, nonetheless real.

Charlie wanted to help Fili, somehow, but she had no idea what she even could do to help him or where to start. Or if there was even anything she could do to help him, he lost his whole family in one day and a person needed time to deal with that kind of thing. The best she really was going to be able to do was be there for him and help him adjust to living in the modern world, help him have some sort of semblance of a life here on Earth.

Even when the strange blue light brought him to this strange world Fili never thought that he wouldn't be able to go back home, to return to his rightful home. If magic could bring him here then he assumed that it could take him back and that there was someone on this Earth that had the power to help him with that. But that wasn't the case in this world as Charlie explained.

Fili….Fili didn't know what to think, what to feel or what he was supposed to do now that there was no way home for him; now he'd never see his family, kin or Erebor again. His mother, brother and uncle out of his reach without a way to send word or communicate with them to at least let them know that he was all right and alive. Without that possibility they will more than likely assume that he had died by the Orc's hand.

Fili regretted ever stepping foot out of the mountain yesterday, regretted how he felt about being a prince and all of the duties that were required of him and wished desperately that he could redo yesterday and decide instead, to not leave Erebor, and do what was asked of him and what being heir to Erebor meant. Instead the responsibilities fell to Kili's shoulders now.

"I'm sorry Amad, I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me," Fili stated to the room, tears of frustration and regret forming. "Uncle, I'm sorry I shouldn't have tried to get out of my duties, I shouldn't have left the mountain to get away from my responsibilities. I'm sorry Kili," he said deeply. "I have laid my responsibilities on you, I have laid them on your shoulders and it was something I never meant to have happen. Please Mahal, please help them, let them know somehow that I am alive." He said, his voice wavering and full of the emotions he was feeling.

Quickly, before any tears could escape, Fili wiped at his eyes desperately trying to make the tears stop forming in his eyes. He was not a dwarfling who would cry over a scraped knee, he was an adult of eighty some years and has seen the light of battle and many obstacles in the year it nearly took to reclaim Erebor. He was acting as a child, crying over the circumstances that he has found himself in and desperately wishing he could just see his mother.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

So what did you think! Awesome or what? Let me know what you think, Review!

Khuzdul Translations

Amad: mother/mom


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine as usual

Chapter three

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Middle-Earth : Kili ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Kili hated himself, blamed himself in fact and no one, not even his mother was able to change his mind. His brother was gone, it's been days since Fili left the mountain to get away from everything and disappeared. Thorin and Dwalin believed Fili dead, his mother, his mother couldn't bear the thought of losing her son on top of already losing his father so she hoped that Fili was alive. Kili knew, knew in his deepest of hearts that Fili lived because that was the only option he allowed himself to believe in, anything else and Kili wouldn't know what to do with himself. It was his fault anyways, he allowed Fili to leave the mountain, to get some space from everything. Instead Kili should have stopped him or gone with him, at least if he would have gone with Fili wouldn't be alone wherever he was.

"Kili, laddie." Balin said from behind Kili.

Kili looked behind him at Balin, then turned back to where he was sitting at the edge of the mountain, near the entrance into Erebor, his legs dangling down. It was a bit of a climb to get to where he was but considering Thorin and his mother had both banned leaving the mountain just because he wanted alone time Kili had to find another place to go.

"Balin." Kili replied as the aged dwarf sat down by him.

Balin looked at the youngest of the Durin line and gave a sad smile to him and patted him on the back, "Its been a few days, your mother is getting worried." He told him. "None of us have seen much of you."

Kili just shrugged in response to that, "I'm not really in the mood, everyone is acting as if Fili is gone, as if he is dead." He stated darkly, glaring down the mountain.

At that Balin gave a sad look to the youngster; he couldn't even begin to imagine what Kili was feeling with losing Fili the two being thick as thieves for years and years and now they are suddenly parted. Balin himself didn't know what he would do if he were to lose Dwalin like Kili has lost Fili, the boy being adamant about Fili still being alive broke his heart because eventually there would be the fallout where Kili finally accepted things and it would just be worse.

"I understand that you want to believe that Kili, believe me we all want Fili to be alive but the dead Orc's being where Fili was, the fact that he was nowhere to be found anywhere near it-" Balin said.

"Exactly!" Kili retorted. "There was no body, if there is not a body then he is not dead. I refuse to believe it until we find a sign that he is dead."

"Laddie, you must realize the likelihood of that." Balin said to him gently, resting a hand on Kili's arm. "Realize how slim those chances are. Fili fought against a pack of Orcs and we haven't an idea how large it was and if he had a chance to live, or if they…if they took him. You need to look at things as they are Kili." Balin told him before he pushed himself back up onto his feet. "Please, go and see your mother and stop worrying her."

Kili closed his eyes and slammed his fists into the ground beside him, "I hate this Balin, I hate this so much. It's always been Fili and I since I was born. He was always there for me, helped me, taught me things that I didn't know and that mother and uncle thought were too dangerous for me. Helped get me out of trouble or took the blame for things I did." Kili said to Balin desperately, his eyes watering up. "I miss him and I don't know what to do without him."

There was nothing Balin could say in response to that, he still had his brother with him and could talk and see him and share a meal or an ale with him whenever he pleased, Kili no longer could do that. Fili was lost to them.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Montana : 4 days late ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"This is getting ridiculous Freddy," Charlie said as she looked at the prissy cat that was laying her lap as if he owned the place. "I mean enough is enough, right?" she asked, looking down at the cat but he didn't respond.

It's been a few days since Charlie told Fili that he was basically stuck here in regular Earth and dashed any and all hope he had of ever returning to Middle-Earth to see his family and kingdom again. Charlie knew that the last couple of days was a lot for the dwarf to take in so rather than bothering him and pushing him to talk about it she left him alone, gave him time to deal and to mourn his family he'd never see again and accept his life now was on this Earth.

Before Fili decided to hide himself away in his room Charlie managed to show him how to use the shower and bath if he preferred especially considering they didn't have showers in Middle-Earth, showed him how the toilet worked which was a bit weird to explain to an adult….dwarf but they managed through it and gave him some basic necessities for bathing and brushing his teeth and told Fili they'd get him some of his own when he felt up it. Charlie even managed to scrounge up some spare clothes for him to use that her friend had left when he and his wife had visited a while ago, the clothes didn't fit the best especially not the lounge pants which were a but too small and too long for his height but they did in a pinch. She even left him food throughout the day; she'd make him breakfast/brunch and dinner and would knock and leave it on the side table, the next morning when she got up the dishes would be downstairs, cleaned.

Otherwise, Charlie gave Fili his space for a few days and did her own thing and did her work from home stuff of editing peoples documents/novels and did her sewing hobby too which she did for some extra money on the side – not that she needed the extra money, but it was fun. She did go into town to get some groceries and while there got some better fitting clothes for Fili and kinda had to wing it since he didn't come with to try them on to know if they would for sure fit. Hopefully when he was in a more sociable mood he would be willing to come along and try things on and pick things out that he wanted and not that she picked out for him.

"All right, no more of this shit." Charlie said with determination in her voice as she moved Freddy Mercury off of her lap who meowed offended that she dared move him from his comfy spot. "Oh, shut up Freddy, stop being such a Queen like your namesake." She said and then looked at the stairs that led to the second level where the bedrooms were and pressed her lips firmly together. "He is not staying in his room for the rest of his life."

Shoving herself off of the couch, Charlie marched herself up to Fili's room determined that one way or another he was going to get out of that room whether she had to kill him or not. Fili was going to get his ass out of bed and out of that room, he's had his time to wallow in his own self-pity but the time is over, it's time to live and interact with the world and get some fresh air at least. Being holed up in that room definitely isn't helping his mental state.

Reaching Fili's room Charlie knocked aggressively and waited a few moments for him to answer, but there never was one which wasn't surprising so, once again, Charlie knocked as loud and angry as she could but still Fili didn't answer. Rather than giving up and walking away Charlie took matters into her own hands and barged into his room not caring if he might be undressed or not.

"Fili!" Charlie said angrily, hands on her hips as she looked down at him on the bed, he was sitting against the headboard with his legs crossed and was looking off into the window that was in the room. "What in the hell are you doing?" She questioned.

Fili turned to glance at her, back to the window and then to her again, "Charlie. What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked, the pain of losing everything he knew still present.

Charlie gave a look to Fili when he said that, apparently when he was sad and wallowing he was a sarcastic little shit. "You sure you want to ask me that because I'm definitely not in the forgiving or coddling mood, I'll tell you exactly what I think of this shit that you're pulling." She said gesturing at him and the room he was in and the clothes she knew he'd been wearing for at least two or so days. "I think you are being so stupid right now, I think you are acting like a complete and utter dimwitted idiot. I think you are being unbelievably selfish." She said looking into his blue colored eyes, her arms crossed under her chest as she looked at him still sitting on the bed.

At that statement was the first sign of emotion she's seen on Fili's face since she told him everything a few days ago, "Selfish, you think I'm being selfish right now. How dare you say such a thing. I just lost-" Fili began on what was going to be a very long tirade but instead of letting him go on Charlie interrupted him.

"No, no you don't get to speak right now." Charlie said and leaned down to look at him, showing she meant business. "Not with you pulling this shit, you don't have a right to talk back to anything I'm saying right now because it's true. You are being selfish Fili, you have holed yourself in your room for four days now, wallowing and the only times I actually see you is when I bring you food and when I do that you don't even talk to me or acknowledge I'm there. Maybe a grunt or groan if I'm lucky. This is getting so past ridiculous," she said and shook her head, blonde curls flying every which way, and attempted to take a calm breath to keep her temper in check. "I get mourning everything, mourning your world that you can't get back to and mourning your family and friends you'll never see. There's mourning and then there's this Fili. This is borderline concerning and needing professional attention. Most normal people don't lock themselves up in their bedroom for days without emerging and without changing clothes, I'd think you weren't bathing if I hadn't heard the tub run a few times." She said to him offhand and ran her hands through her hair in frustration at the situation.

"Is this how you are planning on spending the rest of your life on Earth?" Charlie questioned and looked intently into his face, hoping that Fili would be able to tell how concerned she was for his well-being and mental state. "Being holed up in some room, doing nothing but staring at the walls and barely taking care of yourself? Because that is not a life Fili, trust me." She said sadly, a memory fliting through from the past. "What would your mother think if she could see you now or your brother Kili or your uncle? What would they think if they had some way to see you?" she asked, not afraid to mention the people he was mourning while some would have avoided doing something like that. "Is this how the dwarves of Erebor act like? Is this how a prince of Erebor would act Fili? I know basically nothing about your people, but I feel pretty confident in saying they wouldn't act like you are now. A dwarf who has barely left his bedroom, who barely bathes and instead is wasting himself away in a bedroom. Rather than making a life from the situation you were given you've decided that become a hermit is the way to go?" she questioned rhetorically, scoffing before Fili could even utter a single word. "Much different from the proud and fierce dwarf I met when he first arrived here, killing Orc's and doing his damndest to come to my rescue while he was fighting his own Orc. This person you've become over the last few days, this person you are now Fili, I can't imagine is the same one your family knows you as. The other Fili," Charlie said, a small smile on her face. "The cheeky one, him I think I could have gotten along great with but this one, this hermit isn't someone I'd want to deal with or be friends with."

Taking a breather, Charlie took a moment to gather her thoughts and try to work out what she was going to say next and hope that Fili was getting this through his thick skull. Of course Charlie didn't expect him to just magically be better right away, that he would push everything out of his mind and forget about his family that he lost and the world that he couldn't get back to, it would take time and it could take weeks, if not months to fully accept and move on but Fili didn't need to stay in his room all the time and avoid human interaction.

"Look," Charlie said in a gentle tone of voice as she stared at him, her gaze unwavering. "I don't want to be yelling at you, I'm not the yelling type or the confrontation type unless I absolutely have to be and this situation made me feel like I had to be. You need someone to yell at you for how you are acting, you need someone to kick you in the ass and lucky you, you get someone as wonderful and sweet as me," she said in a sarcastic cheery voice, an overexaggerated smile on her face to which Fili gave a snort. "See, its already working. I do understand that you needed time by yourself Fili, that you needed to semi get away from all of the strange things in my house and maybe even me so that you could process everything but I don't think locking yourself away for almost four days is the best way to do it. I've lost people before," she said and to him with a downcast expression. "But there's no way for me to see them again unlike you. Somedays I forget that they're dead and I see something that they'd like or some random piece of information and want to tell them and then that's when I remember that they died and it hurts all over again. But your mother is alive Fili, your uncle Thorin is alive and Kili is alive and the members from your quest are alive in Erebor, just….just out of reach. Not everyone is lucky enough to have living family members or even live near them. You are wasting the life you were given, you could have been killed by those Orc's but you lived and now you're here on Earth. Instead of trying to build a live in this strange world you're letting is pass you by, letting yourself go. To live in my house without seeing or speaking to me? Because that shit is not gonna happen anymore, you are going to live your life, you are going to get out of this room and change clothes and you're going to come with me and the dogs and have some fun outside. You have no choice in the matter." She said stubbornly to him, a determined look on her face and eyes narrowed at him, daring him to say otherwise.

As Charlie finished her speech Fili wanted to be angry at her, he wanted to argue back, he wanted to yell at her like she was doing to him but while she was talking he realized he couldn't do any of that because like Charlie said, everything she was saying to him was true as can be. He was wallowing in his own self-pity over never being able to see his family or kin again, over the fact that he could never see Middle-Earth again and over the fact that he was stuck in this strange world that had many things that he didn't understand. Within the first few days he had mourned what he no longer could reach, but rather than going on with his life and interacting with this new world he stayed in his room acting as he did – he truthfully didn't want to come out and face the reality. If he stayed in that room, even though it was unlike most rooms he'd ever seen, at least the things in it were familiar and he could pretend that nothing had changed. He was being selfish and he no longer could do that, he still had many years to live and living them in this room until he died without seeing the world outside and what this world had to offer was no life.

"You look very similar to a dwarrowdam when angry." Fili said with a smirk on his face as he looked at her up and down. "Fierce and stubborn."

"That's what you say after everything?" Charlie asked incredulously. "Are you serious."

Fili smiled widely at her, "Take it as a compliment. I mean it as one." He said looking into her eyes. "You could rival my mother when angry and that's saying something."

Charlie looked at him and shook her head, "I..just, you're completely ridiculous." She told him as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Looking at Charlie while she did so and seeing the concern on her face while she had been yelling at him, mixed in with the angry looks and snarling of course, made Fili feel guilty for how shut in he has been the last four days and for acting as he has. He's been acting as a dwarfling rather than the eighty plus year old dwarf he was, he was behaving in such a way that his mother would be appalled if she had been there to see him hide himself in his room.

"Charlie," Fili said softly, gaining her attention her eyes locking onto his as he spoke to her. "I apologize for my actions, for how I have acted and for the fact that even though you have done much for me I have barely given you a proper thank you for all that you have done. You have taken me in without question even though I arrived by strange means, you have given me food and clothing that you have spent your own money on and what have I done? I have stayed hidden away in this room from you, I barely speak or say any words to you when you have brought me food and didn't even thank you when you were kind enough to show me the way that your modern bathroom, as you call it, works. I've been a horrible guest to you, my mother would tan my hide if she knew how I have treated and acted towards you." He said.

At that Charlie shook her head, "Fili, really it's fi-"

Before Charlie was able to finish that sentence, Fili cut her off, "Lady Charlotte," he said seriously, using her proper name. "Do not say it is fine because it is not. I have not acted a prince should, as any dwarf with honor should. I have taken what you have given me without a thought, I have accepted your gifts and hospitality and in response I should have thanked you properly. You did things that you had no reason to do, you would gain nothing from helping me but you did it anyways without a thought. You didn't even stop to question me, to question my intentions and my person, you didn't even think to send me away. You let me join you and brought me into your home and healed me as best as you could. Nothing, and I mean nothing will ever be able to show how truly thankful I am for what you did for me, for what you have given me and for the care you have shown me." He said to her and then sent a playful smirk. "Even the yelling."

Charlie gave a laugh at that, "I'm not really the yelling sort of person usually." She said and then gestured to the tray that she had put on the table earlier when she had decided to march herself up here and drag Fili's ass out of bed. "Care if I sit down and check on your wounds, make sure they're not getting infected and see how your arm and ribs are doing?"

"Of course." Fili said and gestured to the bed for her to sit down. "This is your home Charlie, I do not think you need to ask me to take a seat if you truly wished to sit down." He said with a smirk, a bit of Fili's real personality peeking out.

Charlie gave him a look, "It's your room now Fili, it'd be rude to just barge in here and sit down wherever I damn well pleased. Besides, my mother would so kick my ass if I ever did that, even if I am an adult now and don't even live with her." She said and grimaced at the thought of it.

Fili was beyond thankful to Charlie, thankful to have a room and for her thinking of it as his and not him being a temporary fixture but Fili didn't feel as if it was his. He missed his old room at the mountain with a much larger bed than this one, he missed the things he had within his room and the books that he had, the things he's collected over the decades but what he missed the most was the sword that he chose to never use – the sword his father had been using when he fell in battle. It was the one belonging on his father's that he had, one thing that made him feel close to the father that he never had a chance to get to know. He had passed when Fili was too young to remember much about him other than a blurred version of his face and a ghost of a voice that sounded familiar.

"Come on," Charlie said as she gestured at the shirt he was wearing. "Off with the shirt. I need to take a look at things and make sure nothings infected. An infection is never fun." She said seriously and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to remove his shirt.

Fili took his shirt off as she requested, his ribs hurting much less than they did the last couple of days. "Are you a healer?" he questioned curiously, studying the things she grabbed and put on her lap as she reached over to him and began to take off the largest bandage on his chest where an Orc's blade managed to slice him.

When Fili asked that Charlie gave a small laugh and took a good look at the gash on his chest, liking the color of it and how well it looked after only four or five days but put a new bandage over it to keep it clean until it completely healed. "No, I'm definitely not a healer. I went to nursing school for a while though, it's like training for a healer or healers assistant is the closest I can think to call it." She said and shrugged, struggling to think of how to describe what a nurse was exactly. "I was about a year away from finishing the training but decided that it wasn't really what I wanted to do so I left and went in a different direction." She said thinking about all the years and money she wasted on becoming a nurse simply because her family convinced her that it would be a good career choice and that there were jobs in it – which there is – but none of those were good reasons to do something you didn't really like or enjoy. "I remember most of the training still."

After that Charlie got quiet and concentrated on checking out his other injuries, Fili responding to her questions when she pressed lightly on his ribs in a few different areas and then repeated the process when she did the same thing to his wrist as well. All in all a relatively painless process other than when she put that strange liquid on some material and patted on his wounds, it stinging something horrible as if she had pressed a poisonous plant into them. She said it was to be certain it didn't get infected. Fili looked at her suspiciously, wondering if she had sick idea of enjoyment and did that purposefully.

"Good news is that your ribs don't seem to be as bad as originally thought, so that's a definite win," Charlie told him as he put his shirt back on. "Though from how you were fighting and you saying there was originally five I can't believe that you aren't worse off with a broken rib or something." She said to him off hand.

"Dwarves are different from the race of Men, though a man may take on a party of Orc's such as a I did they are probably going to take more damage than someone of my race," Fili explained to her, looking at her interested expression. "Dwarves are sturdier and stronger than the race of Man, we may be short but we fight fiercely and with hear. So instead of having a broken rib or so I, instead, have bruised ribs that will heal much faster on me than the race of men." He said raising his head proudly at that fact.

That was information that was definitely not given in the Lord of the Rings books or in the Hobbit, well either that or Charlie needs to reread them and brush up on the information in them since it has been a few years since she either, nearly ten years for the Lord of the Rings. There was probably a lot of things that she either didn't remember or genuinely didn't know about the dwarves, for one Fili isn't a character in a book and who knows if all the things that Tolkien wrote are true for how the dwarves actually were and not to mention the dwarves were a secretive race and Tolkien wrote that into the books.

"That is so not fair," Charlie said, a pout on her lips accentuating their size. "I want to be a dwarf, I'd definitely would have been able to utilize the being sturdier and faster healing when I was younger and in my injure prone days." She said as she began to put her first aid kit supplies away. "I've had over thirty some stitches."

Fili gave a genuine laugh when she said that she wished she was a dwarf, he doubts anyone from the race of men had ever wished they were a dwarf before and especially a woman one at that. "Well if it makes you feel better you do have the height of a dwarf woman, so maybe you do have some dwarf in you." He said with a wink.

Charlie narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you calling me short?" she asked, hands on her hips as she stood up and looked the few inches up into his blue colored eyes. "I'm not short." She asked with narrowed eyes, looking at Fili suspiciously.

"No, of course not. I am merely pointing out the fact that you already have the height common with being a dwarf woman in my land. I would never dream of calling such a lady as yourself short." Fili replied smoothly. "Such an offense to do so. But you have many characteristics in common and though you are human you are shorter than I am, a dwarf." He said to her.

At that Charlie gasped at him, "You ARE calling me short, how dare you!" Charlie said and hit his good arm open handed, the two laughing together. "Anyways," she said once she contained her laughter. "You can probably stop wearing the ace bandage, your arm seems to be doing good and could probably use a breather from the wrap. If it pains you or twinges wear it of course but I think for the most part its good to go. You dwarves really do heal up fast." She said shaking her head.

It really did amaze her by how fast Fili was healing up; his arm and ribs being the most amazing healing that she's seen. Most people would take at least four to eight weeks for ribs to heal, even sprained ones, Fili though looked like another week or so and he would be completely back to normal and his wrist should have taken a few weeks not just a week or so.

"Well how about you change out of those clothes and into something less…worn and more clean," Charlie said as she eyed Fili up and down noticing him still wearing the same shirt she gave him however many days ago with the same lounge pants she had found him of her friends. "Those bags are filled with clothes I'm sure there's something in them that you could wear. You and I are getting out of the house and going on an adventure to do something fun and not in the house." She said with a grin.

"Maybe we could do something in the house but out of the room, I-" Fili started but was cut off.

"Do I have to yell at you again?" Charlie questioned, looking at him with a resolved face. "I will, don't think I won't." She threatened to him. "Besides, you agreed that you've been stuck in this room too long and you need to get out of it." She pointed out to him.

Fili did agree on that but he was hoping maybe looking at the things around the home and yard, her explaining what they were. "What about doing something here at your home and your property, there are many things here that I still do not understand or know what they are for." He said hopefully.

At that Charlie gave him a look and shook her head, curls flying around her face. "Nope." She said popping the P in nope. "No being Mister Downer pants Fili, its against the law of the land of Charlotte Lovisa Alexander. Me. You break a law and you get punished, horrifically." She stated theatrically as she leaned close to him. "Offenders are never seen again you see." She said to him.

"Maybe I can take it." Fili said doing his best to keep a serious face at this playful banter he and Charlie were doing at the moment.

"Doubt it." Charlie said, standing back up and away from Fili. "Now come on, I mean it. We're going outside because it's hot as fuck, we're gonna go to the creek that's not too far away and you're going to like it. No options." She said pointing at him, giving no room for any more arguments.

Fili just shook his head at her, "Of course Charlie, I will change."

"Awesome! I'm gonna change too, meet you downstairs." Charlie said with a wide smile and flitted out of the room and down the hallway to her own room.

Shaking his head Fili looked over to the odd see through bags of clothes that Charlie had brought him, bags that had odd words like 'Wal-Mart' and 'Target' displayed across them. Wondering what that meant and how they did that to these strange bags, Fili sorted through the clothes that Charlie had gotten him, some of which were so strange that he wasn't even sure what some of them were for. He pulled what looked like another shirt, a 't-shirt' Charlie had called it and some pants, trying on the pants they were much too long for his frame fitted more for a Human male. Deciding against wearing those he pulled another pair out and saw that they ended much shorter than his trousers from Middle-Earth but decided that these he could at least walk in without a worry and the material was very soft as well, similar to the shirt he wore.

Fili knew he shouldn't have left the house that day when Charlie threatened him and told him he was getting out of the house whether he wanted to or not, this, this situation he was in at the moment was why he shouldn't have left. Maybe he should have stayed holed up in his room for one more day.

"Fili? You okay?" Charlie asked from her spot in the creek, waist deep in the water which felt nice in the hot weather.

Fili glanced at her quickly and then back to the view from the creek, faced away from her. "I…I'm fine, just…adjusting still to this world. How different and the same it was." He said to her.

"Okie dokie." Charlie said with a shrug and turned back to splashing around with Ragnar in the water, throwing a stick for him and him swimming to get it and bringing it back.

The reason Fili decided that it was a bad idea to come out is because of Charlie, because of what Charlie was presently wearing. It was as if Charlie was trying to kill him without making it too obvious and doing so through clothing choice only. Fili has seen the more…unsavory women of Middle-Earth during his travels, the things that they wore to entice men for a certain amount – something he never would do, he was a dwarf and dwarves had honor – but never in his eighty some years had he ever seen a woman wear something so scandalous. He assumed that they clothes were of the norm in this world, that wearing things such as these would not shock anybody as it did him, but Fili was not from this world and it was a definite shock to see her wearing such things.

Charlie was wearing trousers, if you could even call them that, trousers that barely covered her bottom and showed off her legs which Fili tore his eyes away from once he had realized he'd been staring. The top was another odd piece of clothing choice, originally she had been wearing a shirt that was similar to his own but a bit lower cut but the moment they reached the creek that had been discarded and underneath was an odd bright pink colored top that looked better suited to being an undergarment of some kind not something you wear in mixed company. This top was called a 'bikini', something people wore to go swimming Charlie explained to him, this bikini clung to her plentiful chest as if it was a second skin and left very little to the imagination as to what her bosom looked like. In fact, this bikini top, seemed to have been designed specifically to accentuate her breasts rather than concealing them, it baring her cleavage for all to see who would come upon her. Mahal was punishing him for something, that had to be the only reason that he was in the current situation that he was in. Fili was certain of it.

"Your master doesn't even realize that she's killing me Godzilla." Fili said quietly to the massive dog as it brought a ball back for him to throw for him, his tail wagging excitedly as he watched the ball that was in Fili's hand.

When Fili had acted weird and refused to look at her when they got to the creek, and when he had decided to turn away from her and play fetch with Godzilla, Charlie gave him a strange look but shrugged it off for the most part and wondered what she did to the poor guy to make him avoid her. It was when she looked down at herself when she realized what the hell she did; Fili was from a medieval kind of world that has yet had technical or medical advancements, no women's right marches, no burning of bras in protest or anything of the like. Charlie took the world she lived in for granted and didn't even think of what Fili would think or act like when she striped her shirt off and jumped into the water, he probably had a mini heart attack when she did that and might even be wondering if she was a woman of the night, as they had been called back in the day. A Bikini top is kind of shocking to see for the first time when you are used to women wearing long dresses with sleeves, corsets and sometimes a few layers at that to coming to Earth where that was not so and where the clothing was so strange.

Poor Fili.

"So," Charlie said to Fili as she sidled up to the shoreline of the creek and looked up at him. "You planning on coming in or what?" she asked playfully, "Ragnar is only so much fun and I can only throw a stick for him so often before it gets kind of old."

Fili looked down at Charlie when she spoke to him but quickly averted his gaze once again, "Uh, no. I'm fine up here. Godzilla and I are enjoying playing with this ball." He said to her to with an unconvincing smile.

At that Charlie gave him a raised brow and had to resist laughing at the fact that he was still avoiding looking down at her in any way, "It's hot as hell, how do you not want to get out of the sun and in the water?" she questioned but shook her head and then jumped up onto the grassy ground beside Fili before he could respond. "Come on Fili, it'll be fun." She singsonged to him, looking into his deep blue eyes with puppy dog eyes, hoping it would convince him to join her. "This is one of those Earth experiences I was talking about!"

Fili gave short laigh and sent a half smile to Charlie, "It may surprise you, but I have swam in a river before. This is an experience I have already had, in Middle-Earth, many times." He said to her, not realizing he was staring once again before he shook his head and tore his eyes away and to Charlie's who was smirking at the moment.

"Such sarcasm." Charlie responded. "Besides, you've experienced it in Middle-Earth, it's a whole different experience in just Earth. Very different experience I'm sure, if you don't try it then have you even lived?" she said, waggling her eyebrows at him and then bouncing in excitement, "You know you want to!"

The sight of her bouncing in excitement did not help his plight, completely the opposite, sighing and taking a deep breath Fili shook his head. "I am going to have to pass on your offer."

When Fili said that Charlie gave him a look, a plan forming in her mind which made her grin widely a grin which Fili did not feel as if he should trust. His brother has had the same look on his face before, moments later Fili either getting a bucket of wet feathers poured on him from a doorway or something equally as uncomfortable. Not that Fili didn't reciprocate, he had his share of pranks that he turned on his brother and that the two of them used upon others.

"What are you planning?" Fili questioned suspiciously, eyes narrowed at the woman frm where she sat not even a few feet from him.

"Me?" Charlie asked pointing to herself with an innocent ton. "Plan something. Why I'd never, such accusations!" she said with mock hurt in her voice, fighting to not start laughing.

"Yes you," Fili replied looking into her dark eyes. "You have the same look on your face that my brother has had when either deciding to do something reckless or when planning a prank. I do not trust it." He spoke.

Charlie just grinned, "Maybe I just always look like this, I mean we did only meet what, two days ago. You just don't know me well enough yet." She said to him, flashing her eyelashes at him in an attempt to look innocent.

Instead of answering Fili levelled a look at Charlie before turning back to Godzilla and once again throwing the ball for the massive dog who looked like a hellbeast when running back to him in excitement, mostly because of his massive size. While Fili was distracted with Godzilla, Charlie slowly began to make her way towards him which thankfully he only was about a couple feet from the water which made it much easier to execute her plan. He was right, she was definitely planning and scheming, he never should have turned his back on her, it is about to be his downfall.

"Hey Fili." Charlie said, from the side of him.

"Yea-" Before Fili was able to even finish saying anything or even a sentence he was tackled from the side and both he and Charlie ended up falling into the water, water splashing loudly.

Fili, sputtering as he came up looked at Charlie who was cackling like a mad woman, "By Durin's beard. Charlie!" he said, admonishing but also trying to hold back a laugh.

Charlie just smiled, "What? Are you afraid of a little water? Or is it me that you're afraid of?" Charlie taunted at him playfully. "I've been told I can be quite intimidating when I want to be." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Fili shook his head as he stepped closer to Charlie, "Yes, as intimidating as a rabbit." He replied as he looked down at her.

Charlie looked up at Fili, momentarily at a loss for words distracted by his state of dress now. His shirt, soaking wet, now stuck to him and showed every crevice on his torso and how well made dwarves really wore, and to top it off the water was glistening in his beard making it look just that more sexy on him. God, she really needed to control herself. The first attractive man that appears in her home and she has trouble just looking at him when he was fully clothed – albeit wet and fully clothed – but seriously. She wasn't a teenager, jesus.

"I must be a killer rabbit then." Charlie said once she regained control of herself, a hysterical giggle escaping her lips. "Remind me to have you watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail." She mentioned as he looked at her oddly, his head cocked to the side. "Time for fun!"

Fili looked at Charlie and shook his head; this was one hell of a woman who was different to any other that he had ever met. He first thought she was going to be a serious and quiet sort, but when he had heard the sarcastic comments and then today when she had yelled at him it dashed any thoughts of her being as such. She was an force of nature, something different and he liked that about her. She was fierce, stubborn, outspoken, determined, serious, playful and sarcastic all at the same time.

"Come on!" Charlie said and then splashed water right in Fili's face, a smile on her face as she looked at him sputtering, not expecting to get water right in the face.

"I would advise you to run Charlie," Fili said, stalking towards her as if he was a lion going after a gazelle, his blonde hair really adding to the lion like similarities.

Charlie let out a girlish scream, grinned happily at him before she attempted to dodge his hands that were grabbing at her and she attempted to go upstream and away from him but all that did was let her move an inch or two if she was lucky. Before she was able to try and run/swim to shore to get away from Fili, Charlie was grabbed around the waist and thrown a couple feet back into the creek, a laugh emerging from both her and Fili. Coming back up to the surface and shoving her hair out of her face Charlie smiled, Fili, for the first time since everything happened actually had a genuine smile on his face and not one that he was forcing just to be polite.

"Better watch yourself Fili, you may be a prince but that's not gonna stop me." Charlie said.

"Try your best."

Charlie shook her hair out, flinging water pellets at Fili and the dogs that had joined them in the creek in the excitement, jumping at Fili, Charlie wound her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso and leaned back with all of her weight that she was able to. When nothing happened Charlie flung herself back towards the water and soon both she and Fili tumbled backwards into the water, a massive splash resulting in the two bodies hitting the water.

For the rest of the afternoon, Fili, Charlie, Godzilla and Ragnar enjoyed the summer weather and being out in the stream where they were able to cool off from the ungodly heat. Fili hadn't had this kind of fun in many years, his responsibilities as heir getting in the way many times and often being admonished for not acting his age all of the time. It was a relief to be able to let go and have some fun and not worry about having to be proper. His brother would enjoy doing something like this very much.

When Charlie and Fili came home a few hours later, and after taking a their perspective shower/bath to get the river water smell out of their hair and skin, Charlie decided that it was time to introduce Fili to a very important staple of modern food – Pizza. Charlie had the things to make homemade but she was lazy and hungry now, if she would have waited any longer than she already had to she would have gotten hangry and no one wants to deal with a hangry Charlie. So frozen pepperoni pizza it was, just as good as homemade.

"So what is this pizza?" Fili asked as he carried the pizza out to the living room for Charlie and set it on the coffee table for her, eyeing the odd circular food that was cut into triangles.

Charlie plopped onto the couch after she set drinks down on the table for the two of them, "Dough, tomato sauce, cheese and meats. Trust me, I think you'll like it. Everyone loves pizza." She said. "And those who don't, well we don't speak of those people." She said conspiratorially and winked. "Now come on, get comfy. I'm going to introduce you to what TV is and watch a few classic movies."

Fili looked at the pizza that he was handed and looked at it in confusion, wondering how in Arda he was supposed to eat it, giving a glance to the side he saw Charlie grabbing it by the crust and eating it end first. So, he followed suit and was amazed by the flavor. He'd never had anything like it before or tasted such flavors, the melted cheese on the dough and the meats, this is one of the best tasting foods that he's ever had in his had been slyly watching Fili and how he reacted to having pizza for the first time and had to hold in a laugh when she saw his eyes widen when he took his first bite of pizza, she will take that as him liking it.

The movie Charlie had decided on for them to watch was Monty Python and the Holy Grail, she figured it was fitting considering it was loosely set in King Arthur's time, very historically inaccurate and a lot of crude humor and all around weird but a great movie nonetheless. It was when the movie reached a very specific part that had to do with a rabbit that she started to cackle at Fili's outburst.

"A killer rabbit? That is the fearsome creature?" Fili asked incredulously as he looked over at Charlie who was still cackling beside him. "That is the most unbelievably ridiculous thing that I have ever heard of." He said to her. "Completely unbelievable, a rabbit would not be able to kill as such like they are depicting."

Unable to respond, still laughing at how offended Fili was over the movie having a killer rabbit as a fearsome creature as he called it. "You…I just…oh jesus. You kill me." She laughed and struggled to get breath in between the laughing.

Fili looked over at Charlie, "Have you finished laughing at my expense?" he questioned.

"No promises." Charlie replied, giggles still escaping but less cackling laughter now and grabbed a cold slice of pizza and split it between Ragnar and Godzilla who were laying on their beds across from the couch watching the two, waiting for a scrap of food to fall.

Once they had finished the Monty Python movie Charlie decided that one more movie wouldn't hurt and besides, she has been in the mood to watch her favorite 80's movie – the Princess Bride. She did her best to not repeat the lines word for word but, in her defense, she has seen the movie many, many, many times before. It was a hard habit to break.

Fili was engrossed in this second movie that Charlie had put in for them to watch; the technology of this world amazed him. This modern world was able to produce such a feat, they were able to basically make a play and rather than having performers coming to your home to act for you it was on a small circular disk and you were able to watch it as many times as you wished to. The collection of movies that Charlie had was massive, a whole bookshelf filled but she had told him that there were thousands and thousands more than just what she owned, those are just the ones she liked enough to buy.

"Char-" Fili turned to ask her a question but when he turned to look at her he noticed that she had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder and her long hair covering her face.

Smiling to himself Fili reached over and brushed the blonde curls out of the way for Charlie, her scrunching her nose up briefly and then nuzzled her face back into Fili's shoulder which Charlie had deemed as her pillow. Fili decided to let Charlie sleep and to not disturb her at least until the end of the movie, he was invested now in the ending of this movie and wished to know if Wesley rescued his one true love from the king or not. Grabbing a blanket that was thrown at the end of the couch Fili covered Charlie up so that she wouldn't get cold and then turned his eyes back to the screen.

"I don't suppose you two know how to turn this off?" Fili questioned the two dogs once the movie had finally ended, the credits rolling.

The two dogs in question were laying in their dog beds, Godzilla asleep and snoring loudly and Ragnar just looked up at Fili questioningly and cocked his head to the side wondering what he was probably saying to him.

"No, I did not expect so." Fili said with a sigh as he looked at them and then down to Charlie who was still asleep, small quiet snores escaping her mouth which made him give a soft smile.

Carefully cradling Charlie's head, he gently laid it down until it was resting where he had been sitting. As carefully as he could Fili picked Charlie up hoping that moving her in such a way wouldn't wake her from her slumber, on arm going underneath her bent legs and another behind her back to support her and then he walked from the living room and up the stairs to where the bedrooms were so he could put her in her own bed to sleep.

Thanking Mahal that Charlie's bedroom door was open and he didn't have to try and figure out how to open in while she was in his arms, he entered and headed for the bed that was in her room which was actually much bigger than the one that was in his room at the moment. It looked as if it could fit at least two or three people on it rather than just Charlie who occupied it. Laying Charlie down upon it, making sure her head rested on one of the many pillows, he pulled the dark blue/green colored blanket over top of her and gave a small laugh when he saw her curl up and into the blanket.

"Good night Lady Charlie." He said quietly before he exited the room and went down the hallway towards his own.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Hello friends and Fam! Hope you are enjoying this so far, I know it's slow going at first but it will get there I promise. Thorin, Kili and Dis will show up eventually too.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: not mine as usual

Chapter four

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Middle-Earth : Dis ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It was nightfall, the moon high and the stars shining bright in the night and though Dis should have been in bed, asleep, she was wide awake. Sleep has been something that has been evading her ever since the news of her eldest child being missing, Dis would try and sleep, to forget about the events of the week but instead her mind was alive with scenarios of what may have befallen Fili. Try as she might sleep would not find her, she would get no more than a few hours a day if she was lucky and possibly a nap if there was time throughout the day to do so.

Dis gave a disheartened sigh and leant her body against the balcony that looked out over the mountain and into the night where she could see the rebuilt city of Dale and the former Laketown. She's been strong since Fili had….gone from them, she has been strong for Kili and tried to ease the guilt that he already felt over the situation, blaming himself for what happened to his brother even though it was no fault of his own. It was an unfortunate situation; Fili and Kili had gone off on their own plenty of times to get away from the mountain for a while and never once had come upon Orc's, this time though when Fili had gone off alone he was unfortunate enough to have come across them.

Has she not lost enough already; years ago when her children had been but dwarflings she had lost her husband, her One, and then a year ago she had almost lost both of her sons and brother in a battle against the Orc's, and now, after everything that they've been through and survived Fili is lost, felled by an Orc. Her eldest will never truly get to enjoy their kingdom and see it as it deserved in its true glory, not as it will when it is fully restored which though it is livable at the moment they are continuing on restoration and it will be a few years before it looks as it should.

"Sister."

Dis blinked her eyes a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay and looked over her shoulder to see her brother Thorin standing there against one of the pillars watching her with soft eyes that not many see.

"Thorin," Dis greeted as he neared and joined her at the balcony. "How is Kili fairing?" she questioned, her youngest whom she has seen little of since Fili's death.

Thorin sighed heavily at that, looking as if he was years old with that one action. "He does not speak to many, Balin had talked to him but Kili insists that Fili is not gone from us, that he refuses to accept his…his death until there is evidence of him. He is distracted, understandably. It is fresh in his mind, in all of our minds." Thorin said, casting his eyes down the mountain, a grim face.

"Ever since Kili was born those two have been together, joined at the hip." Dis replied, a reminiscent smile on her face.

"Troublemakers is the word you are looking for I believe." Thorin said to her.

Dis gave a soft laugh at that and continued looking out at the night sky; thinking about Fili from the moment he was born screaming his lungs out until the last moment she saw him alive the day he disappeared. Fili was her first born, the image of her passed husband, Fili is the child that first gave her the title of mother. Dis knew that Fili being heir there will always be a chance he may not come back to her someday, that he will not come back from a battle or a fight but she had thought that would be years away, when he had become crowned king not before he ever had a chance to do so.

"My son is gone Thorin, my son is gone from me just as Vili has." Dis said distraught, tears forming in her eyes as she looked up at her brother not even bothering to try and stop the tears.

"I know Dis," Thorin said to her sadly, pulling her to him and holding her and letting her cry. "For that I am sorry. I wish there was something I could do." He spoke.

Dis gave out a cry, "What have I done to deserve such things, what have I done to deserve to lose the love of my life and my eldest child. How is right for me to mourn my child, I should not have to mourn him. I am the one whom is supposed to die first, not him!" she cried, gripping at his tunic, burying her face into the material. "It is not fair."

There was so much Thorin wished he could do or say to ease the pain his sister felt, he wished he could comfort her or make her feel better some way but there was nothing that would be able to heal this pain. Nothing that would fix this. While he lost his eldest nephew, his sister had lost a son and that was an even stronger bond than he will ever understand. Thorin never had found his One, never had a chance to have children to understand the familial bond that was between a parent and a child. So, he could not fully understand the pain his sister was in. Instead, he just held Dis and whispered comforting words to her, being there for her as much as he could hoping, over time, that it would get easier to accept.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ _~_~ Earth ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It was early in the morning, maybe five a.m. and as much as Charlie wanted to get back to sleep and as hard as she tried to no amounts of tossing and turning and counting sheep or whatever animal it was people counted to get back asleep helped her fall back asleep. Instead, she resolved herself to being awake and went downstairs after dressing in a pair of old worn yoga pants, a plain grey v-neck t-shirt and a maroon zip up hoodie made some coffee for herself with extra sugar and extra hazelnut creamer.

Taking her coffee with her, Charlie went out and sat on one of the chairs on her porch and looked out at her property and the view that she had from where her house was situated. The sunrise, smell of the early summer air, and the smell of the trees making her nostalgic about her childhood or at least about the summers of her childhood. In July her dad would come and pick her up from her mom's house, then they would go up to northern Minnesota for two weeks near the boundary waters where her dad's uncle had a cabin on a lake. They'd stay there and swim in the lake, go to some of the touristy stores and old timey stores that were in the small town not too far from the cabin, they'd go and fish off of the dock and go out on the boat to fish or go tubing or just swimming. The sunrise she was watching now was very familiar to the ones that Charlie saw with her dad when they'd been staying at her great-uncle's cabin and it made her nostalgic for that innocence.

Charlie had mixed feelings when it came to her dad' he'd been dead for two years now but still, she had unresolved feelings about the sort of relationship that they had or rather, how it had been lacking. Her dad cared….in his own way, but the alcohol and the pot he smoked and dealt was more important that either Charlie or her older sister were or their mother (one of the reasons her parents got divorced), because of all of that it was hard to feel like they were really a family and that he truly loved her and her sister. When Charlie had been younger she pretended that there wasn't anything wrong with her dad, that he was like any other dad that any of her friends had but every time she counted on him, that he was supposed to come and go to a school event or something along those lines she always ended up disappointed. Charlie and her sister had always been pushed to second place for his bad habits.

God did it hurt her, she wanted the father/daughter relationships other people had with their dads, she was desperate for it and got so jealous when she saw what her other friends and strangers had on the street with their dads, the relationship they shared and experiences they got to have. But mostly Charlie missed the idea of her dad. Missed the dad that he had been before the drinking got so bad that it started to adversely affect his health and there were times few and far between where he did act semi like a dad. Where they would go out for dinner or he'd make something at home, where they'd go see a movie or go bowling or hang out at his house. Moss of all, Charlie thinks she missed the idea of a dad, the idea of a dad that she made in her mind to make up for her own's shortfallings.

"Godzilla," Charlie admonished the large dog as he nearly made her spill her coffee on him, shaking her head she ran her hands through the fur on his head. "You'd think I would be over this by now and be less bitter. It's been years."

Charlie shoved her face in her dog's fur and took a deep breath and then looked back up and at the sunrise that was still continuing and leaned back into her chair, she wished that she could have had the semi-normal family that you would see on TV with a mom and dad that were still together and with a dad who wanted to be a dad and not rly on alcohol and drugs so much. But life wasn't fair and whose to say that if Charlie would have had those things that she thought she desperately wanted that she would have been any happier or that she would end up being the person she was now. She rather liked herself as she was now.

Looking at her phone Charlie noticed that it was nearly six thirty in the morning and had been outside for almost an hour and a half already, glancing down at her Godzilla who decided to join her outside Charlie finished off her coffee and then headed back inside. If she was going to be awake this early she might as well do some editing work, get more done sooner in the day so she could do whatever she wanted later on. So, heading into her office which was off to the side of the living room which had an L shaped desk with her swivel chair, a futon in it and a flowery pastel stool, Charlie went to work.

"What are you doing?" A deep voice said a few hours later.

"Jesus Christ!" Charlie jumped, nearly spilling the cup of coffee shew as drinking onto her laptop. "What are you, a ninja?" she asked.

Fili looked at her, "What is this ninja you talk of?"

With that question Charlie was at a loss for words, "A vey quiet warrior/assassin thing….I think." She said more questioning herself than explaining.

Fili stared at her with an amused smile on his face, finding her attempt at explaining what a ninja was amusing. Obviously she knew what the idea of a ninja was but had never had to explain what one was to anyone before, he wondered what other strange warriors that they may have in this world.

"What are you doing if I may ask?" Fili questioned, looking at her work space curiously that was strewn with notebooks, sticky notes, pens, pencils and other random objects including a strange looking cat that seemed to have wounds on it (Zombie cat).

"Working, unfortunately." Charlie replied, blowing a stray curl out of the way that managed to escape the messy bun she put her hair up in.

"You're working?"

Nodding, Charlie looked at her computer screen that had a few different programs up as well as different tabs on the internet browser for things she is looking up and doing for editing. "My job, so I can make money and pay bills and buy things I wand and probably don't need and all that fun stuff." She explained to him.

"You do it all on this odd box." Fili questioned as he gestured to her computer that was in front of her, coming around to study it and then widened his eyes when he saw so many strange things on the screen, such technology he had never seen before.

"A magical wonder of the modern world," Charlie said with a smile as she pet the computer lovingly, a playful grin on her face to him.

After he showed him that she could look pictures up on the internet and research recipes, buy things online and such as that he had questioned how this 'computer' of hers worked which Charlie did a horrible job of explaining. She used technology; she didn't build it. She even showed Fili her phone and that it could do things like that but also make phone calls and that you could contact someone hundreds of miles away almost instantaneously.

"Such wonders of your world," Fili said as he looked at the phone that Charlie had handed him to look at; her showing him how she could text and call people and that she could also play games on it if she wanted to, showing him Angry Birds and some of her matching games too. "If we would have had this during our journey I imagine things would have gone much more smoothly, the googley maps the most useful of it I think."

At that Charlie smiled, "I imagine so, you could have avoided the goblin cave thing all together then." She said to him before turning back to her computer and sighing heavily, she really did have to get back to work she already had put off working for a few days because of Fili and helping him adjust and all that. "Unfortunately I do have to get back to work, I need to do a few more hours of this at least before I can even think of getting a break." She told him apologetically. "You're welcome to anything in the kitchen though if you're hungry, I also made some eggs and sausage earlier and put a plate in the microwave. I showed you how to use that, remember. You just need to heat it up for a minute or two."

"I believe I will be able to manage that." Fili said as he stood up from the stool that he had sat in as Charlie explained the technology of a computer and a phone to him. "I am sure I can find something to occupy my time with while you continue on your work."

It wasn't until Charlie's stomach began protesting for food that she realized that she had been editing for most of the day, a lot longer than she had originally planned on and hadn't eaten anything since breakfast which was hours and hours ago. It was a bad habit of hers when she really got into reading or editing, she would completely forgo any breaks and food all together, instead opting to continue with her reading.

Stretching and hearing the bones in her back crack from the position she stayed in for such a long time, Charlie decided now was as good of time as any to stop and save for the day. Pushing away from her desk and turning her computer off, Charlie headed into the kitchen to find a snack before she got too hungry – no one deserved to deal with a hangry Charlie. While snacking on some nachos and cheese, her phone went off and the screen flashed a picture of her mom.

"Hey ma," Charlie answered reluctantly, wishing she was a worse child and would have just ignored the call.

Charlie loved her mom, she did but they had differing view points on certain things. Her mother was from an older generation where there were certain things you didn't talk about so openly and certain things you didn't do. The main thing they disagreed on was mental health, her mother not believing it could actually be a debilitating condition while Charlie knowing it was from her clinical rotations in nursing school. It's gotten even worse the more her mother got back into being the good Lutheran she was, and Charlie, well she stayed away from topics of mental health and religion all together. She'd rather not argue with her mother.

"Hi Charlie, how are you?" Her mom asked. "Haven't talked to you in a while. Anything new?"

Charlie sat on the island counter stools as she talked with her mom, still eating the plate of nachos that was in front of her. "Nope." She said popping the P in the word. "The usual. Working, doing some things around the house, the usual stuff. A friend is visiting right now." She mentioned off hand as she looked out the window and saw Fili walking with Ragnar and Godzilla following him excitedly.

"Work going well?" her mom asked.

"Yeah, doesn't change much. Editing is editing." Charlie replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Only stressful thing is deadlines." She said and gave a yawn, her getting up so early that morning catching up to her.

They chatted away for a while about nonconsequential things; about how her mom's husband was doing, how her mom's job was, projects that her mom was doing around the house and things that Charlie was planning on doing to her own, how Charlie was hoping to put a vegetable garden in next summer since it was too late in the season to do it this year, how her flowers were doing and things such as that.

"I have a favor to ask you Charlie," Her mom said, bringing the easy-going conversation to a standstill from the serious tone of voice she used. "something to do with your sister Chloe."

Hearing that Charlie groaned like a five year old kid would who didn't want to take a bath, having to deal and let alone talk to her sister was something that Charlie really didn't want to do. Every single conversation they've had since their dad died has ended in fighting no matter how sensitive or careful Charlie was, it was as if her sister had a vendetta against her and wanted to be angry for the sake of being angry. Hell Charlie has called just to talk and reach out and see how Chloe has been doing and her niece and somehow things get turned around and there ends up being a fight that just leaves Charlie confused wondering how the fuck it came to that. Charlie has tried to give her sister time, give her space, write her letters to communicate and ask what was going on with her, and why she was so angry but they end up making her more disappointed so she's stopped trying.

"Mom, you know me and Chloe don't really talk anymore, not since dad. Not like we used to." Charlie replied dejectedly, wishing that her and Chloe could have the relationship that they used to but that boat sailed long ago unfortunately.

"Well maybe it's time you did, she needs you." Her mother, Anne, said to her simply. "Your sister is following in your dad's footsteps with the drugs and drinking, your brother in law is getting worried and has tried to talk to her about her….bad habits but she doesn't listen ot him. She thinks she can control it and that she's not that bad."

"Of course she thinks that, she's too arrogant and proud to admit that she can't handle something, that she can't keep up with the other people." Charlie scoffed. "She's like dad in that sense, she needs to one up people even though she has nothing to prove. And admitting defeat and saying she needs help wouldn't go along with that."

"I think you would be the best person to talk to her, to try and knock some sense into her." Her mother said to her. "You'd tell her like it is, you don't sugarcoat things and will be blunt with her."

Charlie gave a bark of laughter, "All things I've heard you say that you've hated about me at one time or another." She said bitterly.

"Charlotte, you know I don't mean it like that when I've said those things to you." Her mom said to her gently, as if softening her voice would make her feel better.

"She won't listen to me, she never does!" Charlie said indignantly like a child, which she didn't care right now she did not want to call and have a conversation with her sister who already hated her for some odd reason that only her sister knew why. "What about her best friend? Isn't that what she's for? To have these kind of conversations with her, and for me to not have them?"

"Charlotte Lovisa Alexander!" her mother admonished, making Charlie feel as if she was a teenager all over again. "She is your sister! She is struggling and not asking for help. You need to do it."

At that Charlie grasped at her curly blonde hair in frustration, groaning into the phone and not caring that her mom heard her at the moment. While Charlie looked like her dad and her sister, like their mother, her sister had the traits of all of her dad's bad habits unfortunately which included his addictions. Charlie and other's have tried over the years to help Chloe, to get her to see reason, to see that she needed help but she always brushed them off, told them that she was going to meetings when she wasn't, that it wasn't that bad and things like that but she never followed through.

"Fine, fine, fine. Whatever. I'll do it." Charlie reluctantly agreed, really wishing she could have said no but her mom had a skill for subtly convincing Charlie to do things that she really didn't want to, her sister able to do the same thing when she was younger. "If she gets even more pissed and angry at me than she already is then I'm so blaming you." She said to her with finality. "And I will never do this again after this time."

"Thank you, thank you so much Charlie. Really." Her mom gushed, showing her appreciation for what she was doing for her. "Soon though."

"Yeah, yeah. I will." Charlie said to her. "But I'm gonna go, have a house guest and all to amuse you know."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." Her mother said and the two hung up.

Charlie sighed to herself and hated that she let herself get talked into calling her sister to talk about Chloe's addiction issues, just because she's her sister doesn't mean that she should be the one to do this. Chloe didn't talk to her, didn't really like her much anymore for some crazy unknown reason that probably only makes sense to Chloe and it just wasn't something that Charlie wanted to deal with. She loved her sister no matter what, she will always love her but love and like were completely different things. She used to like her sister and love talking and hanging out with her but ever since their dad died they've grown apart and Charlie tried to fix that at first, tried calling and talking her sister, texting her and asking how things were but Chloe didn't seem all that interested in keeping a relationship with her. The fallout was when Chloe yelled at her for something that had to do with their dad's death, something that Charlie never really understood what it was or what the thing that was supposed to be her fault was, Chloe wasn't making all that much sense at the time and it didn't help that she had been drinking a bit. They both had so that didn't help either's anger and ever since they've barely been like sisters to one and another and it killed Charlie, she missed what they had, missed her sister and talking and venting to her about things.

"Are you all right Charlie?" Fili's voice asked from behind her.

Charlie took a deep breath and nodded, though not very convincing of an action. "Yeah. I'm fine." She told him. "Family stuff is all." She said with a forced smile and put her phone down that was still in her hand.

Fili looked at her in concern not believing that she was at all fine, but chose to ignore that for the moment. "Charlie, you have done so much for me in the last week or more and just so you know if you ever need to talk about this family stuff, that you have going on you may come to me. I will speak with you or just listen if that is what you need most." He said sincerely.

"Thank you but I'm fine Fili, I appreciate it though." She told him, more thankful for that offer than he'll realize.

"Shall we find something to eat then, I do believe you deserve a good meal since you have been working all day."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

I've really enjoyed writing things from Dis' point of view, I hope you enjoyed this one!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own, as much as I would love to have my own Fili

Chapter Five

It was been a few days since Charlie talked to her mom and she still hasn't called her sister, pushing it to the back of her mind, something that she didn't want to think about or deal with right now. Besides, she still had Fili to help adjust to the modern world.

"What is this place, an inside market?"

At the moment Fili and Charlie drove the some thirty minutes it took to get to town from her place and went to the small, local grocery store that was there. Half the battle was convincing Fili that her SUV could in fact take them to the grocery store that was twenty some miles away from her house, it was hard for him to believe that something that was not pulled by ponies or horses in anyway could get them to the store where they would get food supplies. After some convincing, and after butchering the explanation on how cars worked Charlie managed to get Fili into her Trailblazer and off to town they went.

Since they stepped inside the grocery store it's been an interesting adventure grocery shopping with Fili, everything was new and bright and different for him, and on top of that seeing all the different people who were also shopping for their own groceries.

"This is the largest market that I have ever seen before in my life." Fili said in amazement, looking around at all of the food options.

Never before has Fili seen so many food options; there were strange fruits that he had never seen before, a papaya, a mango, Kiwi and many others, the fruit he did recognize there were many options for. Just an apple had about six different kids to choose from, there were honeycrisp, pink lady, red delicious, Granny Smith which Charlie explained were sour and some of her favorites. The mass amount of vegetables and even other nonfood options that were on display for people to buy. It was overwhelming and incredible at the same time.

"Dragonfruit!" Fili exclaimed, looking from the fruit to Charlie with wide eyes. "Was it born from a dragon? Is it actually dragon flesh?"

At that Charlie laughed, "Oh god, made from a dragon," she laughed shaking her head.  
"No, I think they just call it that because it looks like scales on a dragon or something like that." She explained with a shrug ignoring the odd looks the two of them were getting.

Fili put it back down embarrassed, "Nevermind." He said quietly.

"Oh Fili, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, at least not to hurt your feelings." Charlie apologized as she put one of the dragonfruit's in the cart that she was pushing. "I know these are things that you've never seen before, I'm sorry." She said sincerely as she gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure I would be the same way if we were in your home." She told him.

Fili smiled at her, showing all was all right. "Can we get one of these Melons?" he asked pointing at a watermelon.

Charlie nodded at him which he happily grabbed one to put it in the cart and they continued on their way throughout the grocery store filled with questions such as 'what's this', 'how do you eat this', 'why is there so much meat' 'what's a hotdog' 'what is tuna' and many, many other questions that it was almost hard for Charlie to keep up with everything he asked her.

Ice cream had been an especially big hit for Fili, never having such a dessert in Middle-Earth and never seeing so many different flavors before in his life. Flavors of things that he had never heard of before such as peanut butter, smores, pecan and many, many other ones as well. Charlie may have gone a little overboard when she bought a few different ice creams – six in actuality – but it was Fili's first time, he deserved to try different flavors.

"Charlie!" an elderly sounding voice called from behind the shopping pair.

Turning Fili saw Charlie embracing a shorter, elderly woman who had pink hair instead of colors that were natural, Charlie had told me people could change their hair to any color they possibly wanted but he never thought he would see it in person. She had also told him that more of the younger people of the world changed their hair such colors not the elderly ones, yet this woman had short pink hair and a wide grin as she looked up at Charlie.

"Oh my girl, look at you, even more beautiful as the years go on for you." The elderly woman said to her.

At that Charlie rolled her eyes at the antics, "You say that every time you see me Eileen." She told her and let Eileen go from her embrace and saw the curious glance that she was giving to Fili. "This is Fili, my friend who's visiting from… Norway." She said to her, thinking quick on the spot and hoping Eileen wouldn't ask too many questions about Fili and England.

Eileen turned to look at Fili and seemed to be studying him before she nodded, "I approve." She said to which Charlie groaned and shook her head at the older woman. "I am Eileen it is very nice to meet you Fili."

"It is a pleasure to meet you my lady." He said to her with a slight bow.

Charlie realized, as an afterthought, maybe she should have told Fili about modern greetings and what they did and didn't say anymore. My lady, being one of said phrases.

"Oh my," Eileen said with a grin on her face. "My lady, isn't that fancy." She said and reached up and pinched a bit of Fili's cheek. "Yes, you are definitely a keeper. Don't let him go Charlie." Eileen said to her.

"Eileen-"

"Anywho, do visit me soon. Both of you," Eileen said, looking from one to the other, a genuine smile on her face. "Anywho, I must get back to it. Have a lovely day dearies." She said and just as soon as she appeared she flounced away.

Fili looked after the older woman and then at Charlie who seemed to be shaking her head at the older woman, "She was interesting." He said to her.

Silently Charlie nodded her head in agreement, "You have no idea. I've known her since I moved here from back home seven years ago for school and she's been like that from day one. She's a…. character, that's for sure." She said and shook her head. "Come on, lets pay for this and get home. Being around all this food is making me hungry."

The checkout line was just as amazing for Fili as first coming into the grocery store, back in Middle-Earth they didn't have a conveyor belt to put their items on, a computer that showed how much everything was or an annoying beep sound when something was scanned. While Fili was watching on in amazement Charlie paid for the groceries and the two of them headed out to her SUV and loaded said food into the back of it and headed back home; Fili watching the scenery as they drove away and all of the small shops in the town and the different cars that there were, him still being amazed by the lack of need for horses for transportation. A piece of modern technology that Fili wished he could bring back to Middle-Earth, it would have been beyond helpful when they had been travelling from the Shire to Erebor.

Charlie was distracted, completely and utterly distracted. Her tea, having gone cold already, but still clutched in her hands as she looked outside the kitchen window at Fili or rather what Fili was doing outside at the moment. He had one of the tank tops on that she had got him – she didn't think he'd actually wear one – and he was training with his dual swords that he had. The swords were rather intimidating looking, it seemed that dwarves of Middle-Earth tended to favor the geometric pattern styles seeing as the blade rather than coming to a point was moreso squared off at the end.

"I think the gods hate me Freddy," Charlie said as she glanced down at her cat that was rubbing himself against her legs. "Seriously," she said as she looked back out the window once more. "They hate me."

The tank top that Fili was wearing showed off his rather nice sized and developed arms, Charlie of course saw a bit of them in the t-shirts that he's been wearing but the tank top just really showed them off and being able to see them in all their glory really got to Charlie. Actually it was the whole package that was getting to her, that was killing her while she watched from the kitchen window; first the tank top which with how it was clinging to him from the sweat showed off his toned but thicker self, and the bit of chest hair she could see peeking from the neckline of the tank top, the braided moustache with the beard, his long hair and braids, and his eyes, god his deep eyes really were a killer. Just looking into those eyes could make her feel unmentionable things.

When Charlie had first spied Fili training in her front yard, feet from the front porch, she had wanted to march out there and yell at him about his injuries and that he still needed time to heal but watching him for a few minutes changed her mind. If Fili was able to move as he was, twisting and turning, fighting with grace (Something she didn't think could be in the same sentence) as he was, then it was obvious he was more than healed up and would be just fine. Just from the moves he was doing Charlie knew that his ribs and arm would be rebelling horribly if they had still been as injured as they were like she first had thought, Dwarves truly were industrious sorts of people.

"Damn." Charlie said shaking her head and trying to pull her dark eyes from basically oogling Fili.

When Charlie used to go to the Renaissance Festival, she'd seen the actors fighting with swords – they did use real swords – but of course it was all staged and watching that at the time had amazed her. What person in the modern world has seen someone sword fight, not exactly a common skill to have. But now, remembering those times, the actors had nothing on the skills and grace that Fili had as she watched him practice. It was….well, nothing would ever truly be able to describe how he looked and how amazing it was to watch.

Charlie knew Fili had been training for years when he had been back in Middle-Earth, it was basically a requirement of all males in Middle-Earth. Orc's were no joke and they all needed to be prepared to defend themselves and Fili even moreso, he was an heir of a kingdom who may one day be expected to fight in a war or something of the sort. Now he had no reason to fight but Charlie was sure it was habit to practice, that it was ingrained so much within him after doing it for so many decades day after day and why lose a skill that you spent years honing.

Dumping her cold tea out, Charlie headed outside and carefully approached Fili so to not startle him – she'd rather not accidentally be stabbed by a sword especially one's as deadly as Fili's looked. "You certainly know how to handle a sword." She said to him playfully, waggling her eyebrows at the dwarf, an innuendo implied while she looked from the sword to Fili.

Fili stopped practicing when he heard Charlie speak, taking a moment to take a few breaths he looked over at Charlie who had a large smirk on her face and looking as if she had just eaten the last dessert set at a table. "I've had years of experience handling my…sword," he replied, both knowing that neither were talking about a sword, on his face a playful smirk to match Charlie's. "You've not seen anything yet Charlie, I can more than just handle a sword, maybe I'll show you sometime."

"Maybe you will." Charlie flirted back, her dark eyes staring deeply into his intense blue colored eyes. "Guess we'll wait and see."

The two stared at one and another for a few moments, as if the two were having a silent conversation that only they could hear and be a part of. Fili Felt as if he could get lost in the dark chocolate colored eyes of Charlie, and Charlie felt as if the deep blue of Fili's eyes were pulling her in, hypnotizing her.

"Come," Fili said, gesturing for Charlie to come closer. "Would you like to try?" He questioned, looking at her inquisitively.

At that Charlie backed up and shook her head vigorously, hands in front of her as if it would protect her from being forced to train with Fili's swords. "No, no, no, that's okay. I'm fine not knowing how to use swords or anything pointier than a butcher knife. I already had to life one of those when you passed out right after you arrived here, definitely not a fun experience, or easy. It is sooo much heavier than first expected, they're smaller than normal swords but definitely not lighter." She said as she pulled a face at recalling how hard it was to lift just one of the swords with both of her hands to drag it inside the house. "I thought my arm was going to fall off!"

Seeing Fili practicing with both of his swords, a sword in each hand and swinging them with ease while practicing moves and fighting stances, well that made her a bit jealous. Charli was not a twig or stick thing of a woman by any means so she figured that she would at least be able to lift one of the swords semi-okayish but that was not what happened.

"It just takes time," Fili told her, an amused look on his face at her explanation. "You must first practice with one until you have built up strength and endurance, once you have done so you then can move on to wield two swords and before you know it you will be able to wield both with the skill of any dwarf warrior." He said confidently.

"You have way too much confidence in me," Charlie deadpanned to him. "I've never touched a sword before." She said to him.

Fili grinned at her, "You touched my sword." He pointed out, doing his best to not laugh.

At that statement Charlie's eyes went wide and her mouth open in shock, "Fili!" she said in surprise.

Charlie had thought that Fili was a prince, who would act proper all of the time and would never say or even hint at something indecent, especially from the way he reacted to her wearing her bikini top and the short shorts she had when they went to the creek. Yet, here she is being proven wrong.

"Come, you will have enjoy it. I promise." Fili spoke as he tossed one of his swords away and onto the ground and then turned back to her and motioned Charlie closer to him. "You'll be fine, you won't injure or hurt yourself. The pointy end, is even pointed away from you." He teased.

All Charlie did was stay standing where she was, looking at Fili and the single sword he now held suspiciously. She's seen those swords in action, she's seen what they could do if the right person was behind them, she saw them kill an Orc before and now she has a healthy fear of those pointy things. Swords were not something to mess around with just willy nilly.

"Nah, I don't think so." Charlie said, once again shaking her head. "The dogs need me, they….they need to be fed." She said desperately, trying to think of anything to get out of Fili insisting on trying to teach her how to use one of his swords.

Fili, instead of listening to Charlie's sad attempt of an excuse why she shouldn't learn how to use and hold a sword, waltzed over to where Charlie still stood and gently grasped her fisted hands and unfurled them and wrapped them around his sword. Charlie looked up at him nervously, looking from the sword that she was holding awkwardly in her hands and then back up at him, not knowing what it was she was exactly supposed to do now.

"Show me how to hold a sword." Fili commanded, looking at her expectantly.

Charlie glowered at Fili, "Aren't you the one who is supposed to show me that, not the other way around?" she questioned rhetorically but nonetheless gripped the sword how she thought she was supposed to (how she saw them do it in movies actually). "There."

Instead Fili walked behind Charlie and reached around her to help her properly position her hands, adjusting how her thumb and fingers were situated on the hilt and wrapping his hands around hers and tightening. "Keep your grip tight but loose enough so that you can maneuver." Fili said softly into her hear from behind her.

Charlie felt as if her brain had decided to either lie to her or short circuit on her without a warning; Fili, the braided moustache dwarf prince from Erebor was standing behind her closer than she thought he'd stand behind her and had placed his hands on hers over the sword hilt. He was so close that she could smell him, smell the sweat and the manly scent that was permeating off of him after he'd been practicing for however long. She was dying and confused and her brain was broken and she didn't know what she was supposed to say or do right now. Probably talk, she should talk and not act all weird like she was feeling at the moment.

"Charlie?"

Charlie looked up and saw that Fili was standing beside her instead of behind her now, looking at her in concern. "Yes, I'm good. Now what?" she asked, looking from the sword to him.

"You must lift it off of the ground." He said with a laugh.

When he said that Charlie gave a dry laugh, "I think we're expecting too much of me right now." She said to him.

"Trying is the first thing to doing anything new, no one is perfect at anything when they were first starting out. I am sure that is true with many things that you find enjoyment from." Fili said to her.

Sighing, Charlie gripped the sword and flexed her fingers for a moment before she returned them to the position that Fili had put them in before she finally attempted to lift the sword. A very short-lived attempt of raising the sword, it went maybe an inch or two off of the ground before the weight of the sword got to Charlie and she let it fall back into the ground, still gripping it around the hilt.

"I told you that I shouldn't have done it." Charlie said matter of factly as she looked over at Fili.

When Charlie said that Fili gave her a look and she quieted at that, "You will not be able to do it at the first try, it takes time. This sword is made for dwarves not someone of the human race, it will take time for you to build up your strength but I believe you can do it." He said to her sincerely. "Try again." He insisted, a smile on his face as he looked at her.

"One more try before we go inside and get some dinner, deal?" Charlie questioned as she looked at Fili.

Fili nodded in acquiescent way, "I agree to your terms." He stated.

So, once again Charlie tried to lift the pointy end of the sword up and off of the ground and hopefully this time she could lift it for longer than ten seconds, in her defense she had absolutely no upper body strength. She was an editor and a crafter who made homemade sewn goods online not someone who often had to use her strength to protect herself and her home from evil creatures in the world. Bears were the only thing they really had to worry about. Sadly, once again Charlie could barely keep the sword off of the ground for all that long, it was maybe a few seconds longer than last time but still, barely all that long.

"That time was even better than last." Fili praised excitedly, proud of her for trying even though she at first didn't want to.

"I think I'd be better at handling different sorts of swords." Charlie said, a twinkle in her eye as she looked at Fili.

Fili coughed a bit on the water he took a drink from, "And what sort of sword are you speaking of Charlie?" he questioned, still attempting to breathe properly after she said that.

"A smaller one of course," Charlie replied innocently, looking at him with her big brown eyes as if she had not intended to imply something else, as if all she had said was innocently meant but already Fili knew that was not true, he had gotten to know Charlie well enough to know that.

Fili looked at Charlie in hidden wonder as she was distracted by her dogs begging for her to throw a ball for them. Charlie was different from any woman he's ever met or seen before in his life. He's had to travel on his uncle's behalf of Erebor a few times over the last year for meetings with other dwarven realms and their leaders, with the human kingdoms and even some of the elven kingdoms and for each of the races he could appreciate the female's and found them attractive but it was different with Charlie. Charlie was a rather unusual and peculiar human woman, strange, outspoken, blunt, sarcastic, stubborn, and to him, incredibly attractive for her looks but for her force of nature of a personality. At first Fili thought his attractiveness towards her was because of them living in such close quarters to one and another, that it may have been because he was thankful for everything she had done for him and provided for him, for putting up with his angry out burst the first week he had been there but it wasn't that. He knew without a doubt it wasn't that, he didn't know quite what it was but it wasn't out of thankfulness that he was feeling and thinking these things about Charlie.

"What?" Charlie asked when she noticed that Fili was staring at her. "Is there something on my face?" she asked as she felt around her face for any food that may have been left behind by her snack she had earlier.

Fili shook his head at her and gave a gentle smile, "No, nothing at all." He told her. "Would it be wrong of me to say that I think it's time for dinner?" he questioned, looking at her.

Just as Charlie was about to respond to that her stomach decided to make it's presence known with a loud and angry sounding grumbling sound, "Maybe." She replied as she held her hungry stomach.

Fili gave a full bellied laugh as he picked up his swords and walked up to the porch and leant them against the house, "That is not a maybe sounding stomach Charlie," he said as he proffered his arm to her. "Your stomach sounds as if it has a fierce beast living within it, demanding sustenance. Come, lets find something filling to eat." He said as Charlie linked her arm with his.

That night Fili had decided to read a book out in the living room from the massive collection that Charlie had, and though he knew there were books on his home of Middle-Earth Fili had decided reading those would not be something he should do. It would only make him angrier and there may be events that haven't happened that he didn't want to know about or that he shouldn't. So instead he opted for something else, Charlie had picked the book out saying it was one of her favorites, 'Alice in Wonderland' a classic children's book.

While Fili was reading in the armchair in the corner, near the bookshelves, Charlie was sitting on the couch, her back against one of the arms and Fili to her back and unable to see her face. Charlie was watching some random TV show, but she wasn't really paying attention to it right now like she should've. Instead her mind was working a mile a minute, thinking about the conversation that she had earlier in the day with her mother. The conversation where she was somehow convinced to have a talk with her sister who barely could stand talking to her, Charlie really wished she would have said no, wished she would have channeled her usual stubborn self and refused to do it but it was her mom and whenever she asked her for a favor Charlie reverted to her childhood personality where she didn't know how to say no to her mom.

Charlie felt mixed emotions about contacting her sister at all, each time she felt hopeful and scared at the same time, hopeful that her sister would finally want to have an actual conversation, that she would tell her why she was so angry at her and what happened that made her hate her so much. She was scared that nothing would change, she was scared of whatever her sister would say to her about why she hated her and make Charlie feel even more disappointed than she already is about their nonexistent relationship.

She missed her sister, sure Chloe wasn't the best sister but Charlie was sure she wasn't either, no one could be perfect all of the time. But the times they did act like sisters, where they did have fun with one and another and talking, those were the times that Charlie missed with her. Charlie wanted her sister and herself to be sisters again, to call to just talk and to see how things were going, Charlie hated that she had to go through her niece just to find out how things were going with her family, she shouldn't have to do that but that is what she has to do since Chloe basically refuses to talk to her most of the time.

Charlie promised her mom that she was going to call her older sister so she would, but that didn't mean she had to do it right away or even that week. She could put it off and wait, she would prefer to not have a fight right now with her sister that would escalate to yelling and possibly screaming.

"I'm heading to bed Fili," Charlie said as she looked at Fili with downcast eyes at where her thoughts were headed. "Just turn the lights off when you go up, okay?"

Fili looked up from his book and looked at Charlie, her face vastly different from how it had been earlier in the night. "Are you okay?" he questioned.

Charlie gave a forced smile, "Fine. Just do that for me. Please." She asked.

"Of course." Fili answered and watched as Charlie walked away, Ragnar following after her to sleep with Charlie in her bed.

Fili wanted to go after Charlie, to talk with her and ask her what was the matter and what was on her mind but when he was feeling similar to how she looked at the moment Charlie had given Fili space to deal with his emotions, to feel what he was feeling. So Fili gave Charlie the same courtesy, letting her have her space to feel what she was feeling, to deal with her emotions as she saw fit.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Hope you are enjoying this so far! Remember to review! Smooches darling!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: is not mine

Chapter six

It was when Fili was reminiscing about his family one day – the few memories he had of his father and mother together – that Fili had an inkling of an idea as to why he felt so pulled towards Charlie. Why Charlie's mere presence made him feel lighter than he has in years, why just being near her made him feel better about anything that may be bringing him down, why he smiled whenever she would go off on a tangent about something he couldn't even begin to understand sometimes, and why he'd always find the way that she talked so animatedly with her hands completely adorable. The words for what exactly it was escaping him until he caught Charlie dancing to some music in the kitchen while she was doing some cleaning and organizing in the cupboards. The music that was playing was…different from any of the other kinds that Charlie had introduced him to as of yet, strange instruments and interesting lyrics some of which didn't even make sense.

"I see a little silhouette of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?" Charlie was singing as she was holding Freddy the cat who looked less than pleased with his owner. "Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very, very Frightening me. Galileo, Galileo. Galileo, Galileo. Galileo Figaro. Magnificoooo." She sang to the cat as she danced around the kitchen.

When it was obvious there was a break in the song Fili decided to speak up, "This is by far the strangest of your modern music that I have thus far heard." He said with a smile as Charlie jumped.

"Jesus Christ!" Charlie said as she stopped and held the cat closer to her from her fright. "Trying to kill me?" she asked.

At that Fili chuckled, "I would be much more discreet if I was trying to kill you Charlie." He said to her and then looked around the kitchen for a radio like the SUV of Charlie's had. "Such strange lyrics for a song." He pointed out.

Charlie gave a knowing nod, "Queen….Queen is amazing. The lead singer Freddy Mercury, this one's namesake," she said as she lifted Freddy further into her arms. "He had one hell of a vision when it came to music. They….I can't explain them properly. But everyone who is anyone who loves music, especially rock music, know who Queen is and know what they did for music." She said as she finally released poor Freddy and let him run off and away from her.

Fili smiled at Charlie as she was explaining the music to him, obviously feeling very passionate about the subject. "You named your cat after the singer of this band?" he asked her.

"Of course. Why not?" Charlie asked rhetorically and then grinned widely as another song came on from whatever radio or other strange device she was using to play music. "Come, dance with me!"

Without even giving Fili a choice in the matter Charlie grabbed him by his hands and started to dance anyways, a song that seemed to be about 'tainted love' if the lyrics were anything to go by. Fili did not know how to dance to this kind of music, to modern music, the music they would play at feasts and banquets and other gatherings of dwarves he knew the dance moves that he would need but not this music. To him, Charlie looked a bit silly, dancing with such strange dance moves but even if the dancing looked odd to him Charlie herself looked beautiful and even moreso than usual because she looked as if she was enjoying herself and didn't have a care in the world. She was just enjoying dancing to the music.

"How am I supposed to dance to this?" Fili asked, trying to mimic what Charlie was doing but failing horribly.

Charlie shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea!" she laughed. "Do what feels right." she said as she twirled around with a large smile on her face.

It was at the moment when Charlie was twirling around and dancing as if no one was watching that Fili realized what she was to him – his One. Finding your One was rare among dwarves, there were so few women to men that not all of the men or women married and those who did not find the one person that was meant for them they, instead, turned to their crafts to fulfill their lives. Fili never thought that he would find his One so soon, he was eighty-three and was still considered young among his people and most do not find their other half until they were at least in their mid-nineties if not older. But even so he was grateful to Mahal for bringing him to Charlie, he was grateful that he was in this strange world so that he could find his One in Charlie and even though he wished he was back home still, he was grateful that he now had her. He was one of the lucky ones, he had found his One, the person that Mahal had deemed his, Charlie was made for him and he in turn was made for her, they were one and another's soulmates.

This was why he had felt drawn to her from the first meeting, why he could not help but be pulled towards her, to gravitate to wherever she may be. It was not because she was a strange woman from a strange world but because she is his One, he had been feeling all of those things because she is his soulmate.

"Hey, you okay?" Charlie asked when she noticed Fili had stopped and had glazed over eyes, as if he was somewhere else. "I know my dancing is shit but I didn't think it was that bad." She said to him as she looked at him curiously, wondering what was going on in his mind at the moment.

Fili shook his head of his thoughts that seemed to be going around in his mind faster than light, "You're dancing isn't shit, as you call it. You look beautiful when you dance. You look free." He told her sincerely as he looked into her eyes and brushed a piece of her back behind her ears and gave a gentle smile.

For a moment Charlie thought she blacked out, she couldn't hear or see anything but Fili and what he had just said to her. It was as if her senses had turned off the moment he told her that she looked beautiful dancing like an idiot, he said it so sincerely and so gently that Charlie was confused on what she was supposed to do or say back to him. And her body, her body had ideas on what she would like to do to Fili in response to that statement, or rather things her body wanted Fili to do to her. Charlie really needed to get herself in order and stop letting her brain go on the fritz every time something like this happened. Sure, her and Fili playfully flirted and bantered but that didn't mean he actually thought of her like that, it's better to not get her hopes up than being disappointed later on. She's been there before and didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

"You, my dear dwarf prince, have a way with words." Charlie said as she shook her head at Fili and then looked at the mess her kitchen was still in. "I wish I could just pay someone to come over here and finish putting this away for me." She said with a sigh.

Fili laughed at that, "Sounds like a lot of work to just do something such as that." He told her.

Charlie nodded, "Probably." Giving a sigh she looked at Fili. "Well I probably should get back to it so we have kitchen space when we want to eat later, thank you for being weird with me and dancing with me." She said with a small laugh.

"Anytime Kidhuzurâl." Fili said softly as he bent down and kissed her knuckles and making his way out of the kitchen so that Charlie could finish putting the kitchen back together.

"Hey! You can't just call someone something in a different language then walk away!" Charlie said indignantly to Fili, who gave a hearty laugh but continued on his way.

Its been a few weeks since Fili first realized that Charlie is his One and he has yet to think of a way to broach the subject with her and explain to her what she was to him and what it meant that she was his One as he was her One. He may have only realized it a few weeks ago but already Fili was slowly beginning to care more and more for Charlie as each day passed and as they spent more time with one and another, he had no doubt in his mind that he could quickly find himself loving her.

He has grown braver in the bantering and flirting that he does with Charlie but he still has not yet told her and fears what she may say when he reveals the truth to her and fears that she may not believe him. This world of Charlie's is filled with technology far past his understanding and to him it seems magical at times but to Charlie it is of the norm, to her it is as simple as getting out of bed and how she feels about technology is how Fili feels about the honor of being blessed with a One by Mahal. While having a One is few and far between because of how few female dwarves there are, Fili feels blessed that Mahal had deemed him one of the few who get to experience that wonder but he fears that Charlie will not see it as he does. Charlie will see it as some piece of magic, something which doesn't exist in her world, a magic that sound unbelievable and unrealistic, something that humans do not have. Fili truly fears her reaction to this when he eventually is able to tell her about it – he could not lose her now that he had her.

It was moments like this when he missed his family desperately and wished there was someone in this world that could return him, wished that if they couldn't return him that there was a way to communicate with them but there wasn't, not in this world. He missed Kili and wished he was there right now with him so that he could help Fili figure out how to tell Charlie what she was to him, he missed his mother so that he could share the exciting news with her and tell her how much she would love Charlie and so that he could have a female's perspective on this situation, and he wished he could talk to Thorin so that he could get some kind of fatherly advice.

Fili thought that he had come to terms with the fact he would never return to Middle-Earth, with the fact that he would never see his family or kin again but he hadn't. He pushed it back after the first time, he didn't want to think about it and end up even more depressed and saddened by that fact. But truthfully it hurt still, it pained him so much that he could never see or speak to his brother, to his mother, to his uncle, to their friends, and never would have duties he was needed to respond to, no travelling on behalf of his uncle or learning the kingship.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ _~_~_~_~_~ Charlie ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"Jeebus, Ragnar, off!" Charlie said as she pushed her dog who suddenly decided to launch himself at her while they were outside, it's like its been years since he been outside rather than an hour or so.

Really, the dog was damn dramatic when he wanted to be.

"Here, go fetch the ball." She said as she threw the tennis ball for the dog.

Charlie looked up at the house from where she was doing some yard work; pulling weeds, watering her flowers and other plants that she had and making sure they weren't dying from the summer heat, and checking to see if she would need to mow soon. But looking up at the house Charlie looked at the window that she knew as Fili's in concern, she had seen him earlier that morning and the two had breakfast together but from when they had breakfast to now there hasn't been a sight of him. Something seemed to have happened that made Fili decide to hole himself back into his room once again. Considering everything, Charlie thought that Fili has been doing pretty damn well in adjusting to Earth and learning all of the weird technology that they had and even accepting the strange clothes of the land without too many side comments about how tight they were. But even with him seemingly being well adjusted, none of those things were familiar to him and this world wasn't his home. It wasn;t fair that Fili had to adjust to so many changes; coming to a new and strange world where his was just a story, the loss of his family even though they were alive and well just without a way to see or talk to them again, the strange technology of the modern world, the strange clothes and just the manner of talking too. There were so many changes that he had to adjust to and coming to terms that he'd never see his family or his homeland again was a lot to take in, not something that was easily accepted no matter how strong of a person you were.

"Things never can be easy, can they Godzilla?" Charlie said to the older dog who was laying at her side while she finished pulling the last of the weeds from her flower garden. "Yeah, yeah I know, you have no idea what I'm talking about." She said to him and ruffled the top of his head.

Throwing the weeds and things that she picked up from the yard and from working in her garden she threw them behind the house into the woods, once she did so Charlie headed inside intending on checking on Fili to make sure he was doing okay and didn't hurt himself on something in the house. Never know, Fili didn't have every single device down as yet and some of the things had rather sharp blades on them.

Quietly, Charlie made her way up the stairs to check on Fili as she made her way to her bedroom to relax, she was just going to listen in and maybe take a peek inside to make sure he was still breathing and was okay but instead she heard him letting his emotions go. She could hear his cries of anguish, the anger in his voice as he yelled and cursed his god Mahal, she could hear him pleading to Mahal to be sent back home or a way for him to talk with his family at least. Just listening to Fili, hearing the raw emotion in his voice and how much emotional pain he was in nearly brought tears to Charlie's eyes. She was going to let him be, to leave him alone to deal with his pain and him finally having a true break down from everything that was happening but it was the desperation in his voice as he was talking to his god that broke Charlie and made her decide to talk to him.

"Fili, are you all right?" Charlie asked and cringed at how stupid of a question that was but it was too late now, it's already been said.

"Leave me be!" Fili yelled through the door. "I wish to be alone." He said thickly.

Charlie gave a sight and leaned her forehead against the door, she's been where Fili is right now. Maybe not the same exact situation but she's lost people, lost her dad, and she thought she was fine for so long, thought she wouldn't be as affected because of the fact that she wasn't close with her dad even though she always wanted to be. Thought that because of that she was protected from feeling the full force of his death, two months later was when she had her breakdown, it was ugly and wet and snotty and it hurt.

Twisting the doorknob Charlie went inside and saw that Fili was sitting in the middle of the bed, one leg crossed and the other straight in front of him, his head bowed into his hands and doing his best to hide the tears and act like he had never been crying. No matter what race or what world males came from every single one of them seemed to refuse to want to cry in front of females, as if they would think them less than who they were or something stupid like that. Guys have emotions too, she didn't know why everyone had such a hard time realizing that.

"I said to go away!" Fili hissed, hiding his face from view.

Charlie looked at him sympathetically and slowly reached out towards him before she began to gently rub her hand soothingly up and down his back, trying to comfort him in any way that she could think. "You don't have to be strong all of the time Fili, you don't have to act like everything was okay and that you're okay with everything as it is. It's not okay and it's not fair what happened. You're stuck here while everything and everyone you know is back home and it's the one place that you can't get to, it sucks, it's horrible and it's unfair but there's no way to change it." She told him as she sat on the edge of the bed and slowly scooted herself over until she was sitting next to Fili. "You can break down, you can get angry and frustrated and yell and show as much as you want, you want to cry you go ahead and cry to your hearts content. You need to let it all out. You have a right to do all of those things if you want to Fili, no one is stopping you but yourself." She spoke.

Fili didn't want to look weak in front of Charlie, he was an adult dwarrow and not some dwarfling, and he especially didn't want to look weak in front of her since she was his One. It was him who was supposed to be their for his One, he was supposed to be there emotionally for her and support her, instead it was Charlie who was doing this for him. Charlie telling him that it was okay to feel, to break down and be angry just made it that much harder to hold himself together, her running her hand up and down his back comfortingly did not help his resolve either. His resolve to not break in front of her dissipating.

"Let go Fili, it's okay." Charlie whispered soothingly to him, her hand going to his hair as she gently ran her hands through the parts that did not have braids. "It's okay, I promise."

Fili finally pulled his head from hiding it in his hands and sat up straight and looked into Charlie's caring eyes, her sincerity about him letting it out and the fact that she was sitting there getting to him and making all his emotions go haywire even moreso than they already were, slowly tears began to escape his eyes, tears he tried to wipe at before it was too obvious. Instead, Charlie grabbed his hands from wiping at them and held them in her hands for a moment before she reached up and gently cupped his face in her hands and wiped at the tears that were forming with the pads of her thumbs.

"It's okay Fili, it doesn't seem like it right now but eventually, it will be okay." She spoke softly as she leant her forehead against his for a moment and pressed a kiss to it and then leaned back. "Let it out."

Fili knew without a doubt that he could grow to love this woman, her kindness, her caring, her nurturing tendencies and everything about her, he could see himself with her for years and years to come. To have a wonderful life with the one person he loved just like those few lucky ones of his kind who were able to find their One; like Gloin, Bombur and Bofur, like how his Amad and Adad had been.

With very little hesitation Fili wrapped his arms around Charlie, clinging to her and burying his head in the crook of his neck as he finally let himself go and let the pain and anguish over everything out. Tears sliding down his face like a stream and he was grasping at her desperately, as if he let her go that everything would fall apart. To Fili, Charli was his lifeline right now, the one thing in this strange world that was keeping him grounded and that made him feel as if he was real and wasn't losing his sanity. After everything that's happened, after everything he's seen and experienced so for and everything he's lost – his home and kid – he felt as if he was dreaming or imagining things. That he wasn't actually experiencing any of this at all and was just asleep somewhere, but this was real. He could feel Charlie's hair brushing against his forehead, he could feel her fingertips in his hair, feel her body pressed against his, smell her scent that was a mix of earthy tones and some sort of floral smell.

Fili wasn't sure what he was thinking; maybe it was the fact that Charlie was his One and that this was the closest that he's ever been to her before, maybe it was that she was telling him that he could let go and break down over everything that happened in the last month or so, or maybe it was that he needed to make sure he was real and that everything that was happening wasn't made up in his mind from some strange dream. But, something had urged him and he went along with his urge and kissed Charlie.

The moment Charlie felt Fili kiss her she was confused, happy and ecstatic all at once, his moustache lightly tickling her. "Fili, what-" she began to question.

Before Charlie had much of a chance to say too much Fili pressed his finger against Charlie's lips, silencing her. Slowly, Fili moved his hand from her lips and glided it across her cheek until he was cupping the one side of her face and gazed into her eyes pleadingly, silently trying to communicate something to her. Slowly but surely, Fili leaned forwards and kissed her softly once again, but it quickly moved from being soft kisses to passionate ones.

"Fi-" Charlie tried to speak once again.

Pulling away, Fili was no more than a hairsbreadth away from Charlie, his deep blue eyes looking down into her dark brown ones. "Please." He said desperately. "Please, Charlie." He begged, his voice asking for something that neither knew what for.

"Okay, okay." Charlie nodded at him and reached up and pushed some of his hair out of his face.

In the back of her mind Charlie thought that this might be a bad idea, letting whatever this was happen between herself and Fili might be a bad idea and may end up hurting her much more than was worth it. Charlie could be getting her hopes up for something that she's wanted since she basically met Fili, for something more than just the playful flirty friendship thing that they've had going on from day one and if this…whatever, ended badly then this friendship of theirs will basically be ruined. Those thoughts and fears of hers were pushed to the back of her mind – Fili was kissing her and touching her in a way that she hasn't been in a few years.

"Kidhuzurâl." Fili whispered to her as he slowly kissed her lips once again but just as soon as he was kissing her lips he moved to kiss along her neck, feather light kisses being pressed to her neck until he once again reached her lips and gently pressed another kiss to her full lips, his braided moustache ends swinging between the two.

Charlie grabbed onto one of the braids that was in Fili's hair, her finger tips following the braid pattern in his hair before she grasped a handful of his hair and pulled him none too gently towards her and pressed her lips more tightly against his, her fingers of her free hand pressing deeply into his back, her nails leaving light indents underneath his shirt. Moving her hand from gripping tightly to his shoulder, Charlie slowly moved it down his body, playing a bit with some of the chest hair that was peeking from the neckline of his shirt, to feeling the muscles of his chest and abs until she managed to slip her hand underneath his shirt, feeling his warm skin of his abs against her hand. The warmness of her bare hand against his bare skin made Fili give a quiet groan from the contact, breathing deeply Fili grasped Charlie by her hips and pulled her until she was seated on top of him, making it easier to get access to her lips.

Gasping at the new position and a very certain part of Fili that she could fell very well, a very excited body part actually, Charlie slowly moved her hips against Fili's and smirked to herself when she elicited a small moan from the dwarf. Waiting a few moments so Fili could calm down from what she did to him, Charlie once again moved her hips against Fili and made sure to really cause some friction against him. Pulling away from the kiss Fili was giving her, Charlie smirked before she grasped some of his hair in one of her hands and angled his head away from her and slowly leant down and nipped her way from the base of his neck to just under his chin, then returned to the base of his neck and slowly almost torturously slow she licked her way along the column of his throat and couldn't help but smile as she could feel him swallow thickly at what she was doing to him. Charlie then began to press slow, wet kisses along the path she had just licked, moving up until reached his beard, skipping over his beard Charlie looked down into Fili's eyes with a soft smile before she acted like she was about to kiss him but pulled away at the last moment. Giving a playful smile, Charlie softly traced his lips with her finger tips and tugged on one of his moustache braids, urging him to lean closer to her, and then pressed a deep kiss to his lips.

Unable to take the teasing and kisses and Charlie moving on top of him like she was, exciting a particular part of him like she was, Fili grabbed her around the waist and flipped them until Charlie was laying on her back on the bed and Fili hovering over her form.

"Was it something I did?" Charlie questioned with a playful smirk.

Fili pressed his forehead against Charlie's before he pulled back and looked at her again, "You, my Kidhuzurâl, are a vixen." Fili breathed as he closed his eyes and moved from her face and down to the crook of her neck where he began to give her languid kisses, slow and soft kisses and lightly sucking on the skin.

A surprised gasp was the response he received for the ministrations he was giving to Charlie, slowly he grazed his fingers down the side of her body, feeling every curve until he reached the hem of her button down shirt and slipped his hand underneath and feeling how soft her skin felt against his calloused hand. Slowly, he moved his hands up her body, past her bellybutton, in between her breasts where she wore an odd breast binding and to her collar bone before he made his way back down making sure to gently cup Charlie's breast in his large hands before moving back down her body. The noises that he elicited from just simply touching Charlie making Fili grin wickedly, there is no saying how she'll react to more. Pushing himself up until his groin was pressed firmly against Charlie's and then moved his hands to the buttons of the shirt she was wearing and began to undo them revealing more and more skin and the odd breast binding that looked similar to the odd Bikini top she had worn to the creek.

"It's called a bra." Charlie rasped to him, having problems breathing from everything that Fili was doing to her.

"Right now Charlotte," Fili spoke into her ear, his voice deepening making Charlie wish she could squeeze her legs together from what his voice was doing to her. "I don't care what it is." He said before his hands moved to touch more of her bare skin that was now visible to him and urging him to touch it.

Sitting up a bit more Fili gazed down at Charlie appreciating the vision that was in front of hm; she had hips and meat on her bones unlike some of the women that he had seen on the TV and at the grocery store, her stomach had a bit of a paunch which he's heard her complain about before, her breasts were even more delectable looking now that he was so close to them, and she was the most beautiful being that he's ever seen in his life. Everything and more than he could have asked for from Mahal.

"My Kidhuzurâl, so beautiful." Fili whispered as he dragged his hands back down her body, carefully caressing the swell of her breasts before he rested his fingertips just below her navel.

Fili moved forward to kiss Charlie but before he was able to Charlie pushed at his chest so he was sitting in his previous position, she narrowed her eyes at him and pulled at the shirt that he still wore. "Off, now!" she growled at him, as she pushed at it from her prone position on the bed and gave him a look indicating he should take it off the rest of the way.

Fili chuckled before he removed the t-shirt he wore and then leaned back down to slowly kiss Charlie, but he skipped right over her face and kissed her from where the edge of her pants met her bare skin and slowly made his way further up her body. Fili kissed the soft flesh just under her belly button, slowly made his way up until just under her ribs, he kissed the soft flesh between her breasts that he could get to with her still wearing her bra, he then kissed the swell of her breasts and licked along the rim of the bra that hid her breasts from view, up to her sternum and the column of her throat before he finally reached her lips and placed a light kiss.

Before Charlie was able to pull him to her after that sad excuse of a kill, Fili moved to her neck and slowly sucked at the skin there and nibbling a bit on it before he moved to her earlobe and began to suck on it and then moved to the other side to do the same to her other lobe, his nose tracing the curve where her neck and shoulder met. Charlie whined at him, frustrated that he was teasing her and kissing her everywhere but where she wanted, she tried to grab at him to force him back to her lips but he was too strong for her to do that and she even pressed herself against his excited member but even then he still didn't give in to her demands. Giving a small frustrated scream finally caused Fili to give a smile and press his lips tightly to Charlie's, his hands going into her messy curls keeping her pressed to him. In response Charlie wrapped an arm around Fili's neck to hold him there and locked her legs behind him to keep him positioned where he was.

"Fili, Fili, please. I can't wait. I…skip the teasing. Please." Charlie begged as Fili began to tease her, his hand down her body and grazing her breasts once again and cupping them none too gently this time, her giving a sharp gasp in response.

Fili chuckled at her impatience and at how responsive she was just to kissing and touching her a bit he couldn't wait to see how she would react to more, as he was thinking of ways that he could drag things out Charlie had slowly brought one of her hands lower until she was barely touching Fili above his pants. Pressing her lips against his to distract him from his teasing, Charlie pulled the elastic of the lounge pants Fili was wearing down and then grasped him firmly in her hands making a loud moan erupt from his mouth, his breathing coming out shaky as he pulled away from the kiss and looked down at Charlie.

"What are you doing to me?" Fili asked as he let his head fall to Charlie's shoulder as he tried to get ahold of his breathing, something which was not an easy feat as Charlie continued to grasp his member and feel him up, a sensation like nothing he's felt before.

"Nothing." Charlie replied innocently, a shit eating grin on her face.

It was with that grin, that small and enticing grin that all but embodied Charlie's personality that ended up being Fili's downfall for the night, it was with that little look of playfulness that caused Fili to throw any and all caution (not that he had been very cautious as it was) to the window. With complete abandon Fili grabbed Charlie and damn near tore Charlie's bra off which she eventually helped him get off and in turn Charlie did the same, using her feet to push Fili's boxers and lounge pants off of him.

It wouldn't be until the next morning when Fili truly realized what he had done.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Next Morning ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Fili woke up sore in places he never thought possible to be sore in, this feeling of soreness was different from the one he felt when he had first started to learn how to use a sword and how to fight and defend himself. The soreness wasn't what surprised him the most it was the warm body that was pressed against him that did, a very warm and naked womanly body.

Looking down Fili saw Charlie's sleeping face, her usual messy blonde curls looking even worse for wear than usual and it was at that moment that everything came back to him about the previous night. About how Charlie had come to check on him, how she comforted him when he was feeling overwhelmed about everything and how he missed his homeland and family, how she told him that it was okay to let go and breakdown, that she had wiped his tears away and that rather than just thanking her for being there for him that he had taken advantage of her and her caring nature. Charlie was his One, his soulmate that Mahal had gifted him with and rather than respecting her properly as she deserved, he instead had taken an advantage of her and had used her as if she was a woman of the night rather than the kind, caring, loving, stubborn as Mahal woman she was. Fili has treated his One dishonorably, did something without thinking about the consequences or how she would be looked upon by others and now there was no way to take back what he had done to her.

There were steps that needed to be taken before a dwarrow could even court a dwarrowdam – fighting for her hand to prove he could protect her to her family, crafting a gift for her to show the dwarrowdam his intentions, putting a courting braid in her hair using a bead of his own making to show she's been claimed, then a marriage planning and then, once a marriage has taken place could they become one. Instead, Fili had skipped over all of the required steps that he had been taught since he was a young dwarfling and skipped to becoming one with Charlie who as of yet did not even know about the fact that she was his One, something which he's been sitting on for a couple weeks now.

"Ughh," Fili groaned out and closed his eyes, unsure of what to do or say to Charlie once she woke up.

"That's a serious face that you have going on there." Charlie said from beside him as she gave a small yawn that made her sound like a small baby animal. "You okay up there?" she asked as she looked at him as she adjusted herself so that she was lying on her side, her head resting in the palm of her hand.

For a moment Fili was at a loss for words, distracted by how beautiful Charlie looked with her hair all over the place and nothing covering her but a blanket which definitely did not seem to be hiding the cleavage of her breasts at the moment. Taking a breath Fili was about to say something but then shut his mouth, he was unsure of what to say to Charlie now that she was awake but knew that he needed to apologize to her for what he had done yesterday, for dishonoring her and treating her as he did.

"Fili, -" Charlie began to say but Fili stopped her before she could say anything other than his name.

"Charlie," Fili said and then stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. "Lady Charlie," he began once again. "I must apologize to you."

At that Charlie raised her brow and looked at Fili as if he lost his mind, "For what?" she asked in confusion, wondering what he felt he needed to apologize to her for.

Fili looked at Charlie seriously, "I must apologize for I have done something truly grievous to your person, I've treated you dishonorably and did not give you the proper respect and honor that you deserve. You've done so much for me and in return I….I took advantage of you. It never should have happened. I'm truly sorry."

Hearing those words, 'it never should have happened' hurt Charlie more than she ever wanted to admit, her mind stuck on that phrase, stuck on the fact that Fili did in fact regret having sex with her and that he probably never even felt like that for her in the first place. That she had just placed herself in pain that could have been avoided if she would have just been realistic and realized that Fili wouldn't ever want someone like her and that she should have stopped him from kissing her and going as far as they did, she wouldn't be feeling like this if she had. But no, she had to hope and dream and listen to her heart that so desperately wanted Fili almost from the moment that she met him.

"Do you regret what happened?" Charlie asked shortly and she forcefully pushed herself into a seated position as she looked at Fili fiercely, her eyes narrowed and waiting for his answer to her loaded question.

"I regret what I did. I sh-" Fili began to say but stopped when Charlie angrily got off of the bed, the blanket still wrapped around her form.

Charlie gave a bitter laugh, "I should have known, should have realized that it was too good to be true. Too good of a thing for this to actually happen," she said as she gestured between the two of them. "I had hoped though, hoped that somehow somewhere the God, or gods or whatever decided that I deserved something as good as you but obviously I was wrong to even think like that." She said as she shook her head and wiped at a tear that was starting to form in her eyes, her voice breaking while she talked. "I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for you, not what you want or like, that you regret having sex with me, that I'm not skinny enough, or –" instead of continuing Charlie cut herself off and ran out the room with , the blanket falling to the floor and her clothes from the previous day still on the floor.

Not a moment later there was the sound of a door being slammed shut down the hall, Fili sighed heavily and pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and wishing he could block everything out, that he could redo yesterday and that he could tell himself to not become one with Charlie. He had not imagined that apologizing to Charlie for taking advantage of her would go the way that it did and he did not even have a chance yet to apologize to her, she had started yelling and then ran out of the room before he had a chance to finish apologizing.

It was a few minutes later that Fili heard Charlie's door open once again and her run downstairs and outside, the front door slamming shut loudly. He never truly realized that it would be this hard to communicate with his One, or that females could be like this – terrifying. It wasn't that Fili regretted the act of having sex with Charlie, he hoped to do it again but after he was able to finally tell Charlie what she was to him, to tell her more about the dwarven people and culture and some of their customs.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Charlie ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

She was angry at herself and embarrassed. Angry, embarrassed and hurt because Charlie thought for a moment, a single fleeting moment that maybe she had a chance at finally finding happiness and the person she belonged with, that maybe Fili cared and liked her like she did for him. Things didn't end up turning out that way though.

Fili regretted what happened and now Charlie had a houseguest who didn't feel for her like she did for him and unfortunately she couldn't just shut down her feelings for him, that wasn't how things worked. And all the things she yelled at him, about how Charlie was sorry she wasn't this or that, and all the other insecurities that she had she just threw out there for him to know about without realizing that she did it until it was too late to take them back. Her last few relationships haven't exactly boosted or helped her self-esteem or her own looks and self-worth. Her last one especially messing with her and making her second guess everything.

Charlie was laying in her backyard at the moment, using Godzilla as a pillow, both sprawled out near the wildflowers that she had planted when she first bought this house which seems like so long ago. Suddenly, while she was doing her best to not think about what happened earlier, a shadow loomed over her.

Looking up Charlie saw that it was Fili, who was giving her an uncertain half smile, groaning Charlie immediately rolled off of Ragnar who had gotten excited at the sight of Fili and instead of wanting to talk about everything, hid her face in her tattooed arm and blocked the sight from her eyes.

"Are you hiding yourself from me as a child would?" Fili questioned with an amused chuckle when he saw Charlie's reaction to him.

"No!" Charlie said indignantly at that reference. "I'm hiding myself like a grown ass adult." She said matter of factly as Fili crouched down to where she was, rolling her over he gently moved her arms from hiding her face away which Charlie barely put up a fight against.

Sighing, Charlie looked up at Fili sadly. "Fili can we not-"

"You never let me finish." Fili interrupted, looking at her softly as he reached down and cupped the side of her face while looking into her eyes filled with emotion.

Hearing that Charlie swallowed and tried to pull her gaze away from Fili's intense deep blue eyes but it was as if she was glued to the spot, as if she was a gazelle and Fili was the lion going in for the kill. Unable to move or say anything.

"I regret what happened but not in the way that you think." Fili quickly explained when he saw the pained expression cross Charlie's face, he leaned down to look into her eyes. "I have hurt your reputation and your honor. I took advantage of you without a thought on how it would affect you. Only caring about myself. I regret that I did that to you, that we have become one with each other before I could explain things….explain things that I've come to realize."

Charlie let out a relieved breath that she didn't even realize that she had been holding, relieved to find out that it wasn't that Fili didn't want her but that he thought he had dishonored her and tarnished her reputation or something ridiculously old fashioned like that. And the fact that he was basically calling himself selfish was ridiculous, she may have only known Fili for about a month or so now but not once had she ever thought of him being selfish before.

"You're an idiot." Charlie responded as she sat up and looked at Fili.

Now that was a response that Fili hadn't been expecting, agreement possibly and maybe even a bit more anger but he hadn't expected to be called an idiot by her. This day was turning out to be stranger and stranger as it went on, he only wished to apologize to Charlie for what he did and finally tell her about what she was to him but before he could even broach that last subject he was called an idiot for thinking he dishonored her. Most would agree with what he said.

"I'm trying to apologize to you and here you are calling me names." Fili said giving Charlie a look, wondering what was going on in her mind exactly.

Charlie shrugged at that, "Well you are, you're an idiot if you think you took advantage of me or dishonored me or whatever. If anything, I was the one who took advantage of you. You were emotional and going through some shit and I let you go ahead and do the nasty with me." She said to him bluntly as she picked a flower from her garden and twirled it between her fingers.

"Do the nasty?" Fili asked in confusion as he looked at her inquisitively at the odd phrase.

Laughing, Charlie elaborated for him. "Have sex." She explained.

Strange, strange world that Fili landed himself in with even stranger phrases for things. How these phrases came to being used to describe such things, Fili would never understand.

"I did though," Fili insisted. "I took advantage of a situation and dishonored you. There are steps taken before two people become one with each other. There are traditions that must be followed and I skipped over every single one of those." He spoke. "It is not the way of the dwarves." He said and bowed his head remorsefully.

Charlie looked at him and shook her head at how old fashioned Middle-Earth was and its people, but then again, not so surprising. "Fili," she said urging him to look up at her so she could look into the blues of his eyes. "I promise, you did not dishonor me or insult me or take advantage of me. We both decided to have sex, it was a partnership decision. You could have stopped yourself or I could have stopped myself if I really wanted to but obviously I didn't."

"Okay." Fili acquiesced.

For a while the two sat in comfortable silence, enjoying being outside and watching as the skies turned from a bright sky blue and slowly to darker colors indicating that a storm was headed their way. Fili decided that it was time to come clean with Charlie about what she was to him, about the fact that she was his One and what that meant and making sure to explain it so that she knew that it wasn't something that was forced on her and that she knew that she was his One as much as he was her One. Before he did that he had questions about some of the things she had said in anger when she left the bedroom that morning.

"You've been hurt before." Fili stated as he looked at Charlie seriously. "You've been close with someone before."

He knew enough that relationships worked a bit different in the modern world, that most of the people of this world did not wait until marriage to commit themselves and to become one with another person, that they 'dated' multiple people and after a few years if things are going well than the people may decide to get married and if things aren't then they go their separate ways to find someone that is better suited. It wasn't something he would want for himself but he understood that it was the different social norms and culture of this world. That to the people of this world that was the norm and what people did to find the person they wished to spend their life with.

"Yes," Charlie nodded sadly and closed her eyes as she laid back down on the grass, her arms crossed behind her head acting as a pillow. "I thought I was close once, to finding the person I wanted to spend my life with. I thought he was the one for me; he was weird and funny, liked stupid meme's and humor and liked video games too, liked nerdy and geeky things and seemed to love me even though I wasn't perfect looking. I'm not considered thin whatsoever, I'm a bit chunky and curvy and most guys here in this world aren't exactly attracted to that so the fact that he loved me as I looked. Well I loved it." Charlie said as she remembered her last relationship which had lasted a few years. "But things weren't perfect, no relationship ever is but he could be selfish and narcissistic at times even when there were moments of him being caring and sweet. He cared more for his games than anything else, any free time he had he would be gaming. He didn't think to plan things to do together when we were both free, he didn't want to go out and see the world, to enjoy life by seeing what there was out there. He also hated that he never had alone time, that I was always around, I gave him his space to do his own thing or whatever but I loved him and wanted to spend time with him. I wanted to watch a few things with him and have dinner together. Have talks about things that interest us."

"He was comfortable with how things were, with being home all the time and never doing anything outside the house, never going anywhere or having an adventure or a weekend getaway. I stupidly had him agree to just doing something outside the house once a month because that's all I thought I was worth." Charlie laughed bitterly to herself at that thought. "I wanted more but knew he wouldn't give more, knew that if I asked or complained that he would get angry at me or that we would end up in another fight and I didn't want that. But things got too much and so frustrating for me after two years, he had no drive or will to better himself. He was stagnant with what he was and with what was. He was comfortable because he had a place to live and food to eat and working a job that gave him enough to get by, I made more money so I paid for most things. But I couldn't do it anymore, I loved him, god did I love him and want it all from him. To be married, to have kids and all that but I knew I wouldn't get that from him or if I did that I would end up being a mother to kids and an adult who was stuck thinking he could still act like a teenager. No matter how much I loved him I couldn't sacrifice me for him, I couldn't sacrifice my wants and happiness. Breaking up with someone you love is one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do in my life."

Fili wished he could have met Charlie earlier, that he could have come to this world earlier so that he could have met her before this man that she had once loved who treated her less than she deserved. Charlie deserved to be loved and cherished, to have time spent with her, to be doted on when she allowed it, to be told she was loved and beautiful, to be told that she was perfect, to not be ignored for some technology for hours and hours on end. She deserved to be taken on an adventure if she wishes it, to see the world and experience life, to not be stuck in the home all day long simply because her significant other did not like to go anywhere.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world Charlie," Fili said sincerely to her. "You deserve to be loved and cared for, to experience life as you wish." He told her.

Charlie gave a genuine smile at that, "It took me a while to realize that, but I think so too. It was just after everything that happened and then you saying you regret it I just immediately thought about him and everything I wasted on him and everything I didn't get and how much I…I care about you and like you, how much I want things with you that…I just didn't want to get my hopes up."

Seeing the look on Charlie's face Fili leaned over towards her and cupped her face gently, "You should get your hopes up." He said softly before he pressed a light and gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away. "There is something that I must tell you."

Blinking a few times, surprised by the unexpected soft kiss. "What?" she said and shook her head. "What else?" she asked.

"I have been keeping something from you for a couple weeks now," Fili admitted to her. "Us dwarves are different from other races as well because of how we find our love, our One. Humans, Elves and Hobbits alike are able to choose whoever they wish to be their wives and husbands, but dwarves are different. When we were created by Mahal he had decided to go a different route than what the others had done to the races of the world, he wanted the dwarves to know without a doubt whom the person they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with was supposed to be." Fili paused for a moment to look at Charlie but was unable to discern what she was thinking. "He thought they all deserved happiness and to find love, so when a dwarf comes across the person that Mahal has deemed the person they are destined to spend their life with that dwarf just knows. We call them our One. But it is not the woman that is just the male's One, but the male is also the woman's One, they are each other's soulmate. They will feel it in their bones, in their soul, they will feel drawn to one and another as if there is a rope that is connecting the two tugging them closer and closer to one and another. When I first arrived in this strange land I did not realize right away, there were so many things happening and so many changes in such a short time. I knew there was something, but I did not know what it was exactly. I couldn't find the words for it until a couple weeks ago when I saw you singing and dancing in the kitchen, it was then that I knew that you are my One. That I was your One." He finished.

Charlie took a few minutes to let that sink in; apparently in Middle-Earth dwarves had things like soulmates, something that none of the other races in Middle-Earth and not the soulmates that people say their boyfriend/girlfriend is and then weeks later breakup but literally soulmates that their god had created for them. Little girls dream about their soulmates and prince charming coming to sweep them off of their feet but once puberty hits those notions about soulmates are all but nonexistent.

"Is that why I've been so drawn to you?" Charlie asked simply.

Fili looked at her a bit surprised by how well she was taking this new information, he thought with how her last relationship had been and being a woman of the modern world that she would throw the thought of soulmates out the window. As something that wasn't real, but that was not so.

"I knew that dwarves would be drawn to their One, but I did not think it was possible for humans to experience the same thing. I did not know if you felt the same thing I did, I didn't think you would feel the pull and would think I was talking nonsense."

Shaking her head Charlie leaned up to Fili and gave him a sound kiss, twirling one of the sides of his braided moustache in her fingers. "No. I felt it. I thought I was going crazy." She said and then thought about something before looking at Fili seriously. "You find me attractive even though I don't have a beard?" she asked.

It was at that moment that Fili truly thought Charlie as a bit mad, of all the strange things that have escaped her mouth since he met the woman this was the strangest thing that he had heard by far. Asking if he found her attractive without a beard.

"Why would I find you attractive WITH a beard?" He asked genuinely curious where this was going, sometimes Charlie's statements could lead to odd points that she was attempting to make.

Charlie cocked her head to the side looking at Fili confused, "I thought female dwarves had beards? Apparently not?" she questioned, feeling a bit stupid for thinking that now that she realized that was apparently not something. The movies lied!

Fili gave a full bellied laugh at the thought, female dwarves with beards would be the oddest and most unusual sight ever imaginable. His mother with a beard would be even more imposing than she already was, she already could just give a fierce look and any and all dwarves around would fall into line without question. She was a force to be reckoned with. No, it was a good thing dwarrowdams didn't have beards. It would be terrifying and an odd kissing sensation. Beard against beard.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Fili asked with a smirk. "The books?"

Charlie gave a guilty shrug, "Maybe. I'll never tell!" she said playfully, widening her eyes dramatically at him.

It was when Charlie acted like this, playful and childish, that Fili knew without a doubt that she would get along with Kili. The two of them would be thick as thieves and would be great friends, like siblings even. His mother would love Charlie for her stubbornness, her fierceness, her independence and how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and not care what others would say about that. Thorin…Thorin would be frustrated by her and pray to Mahal to ask what he did to deserve this, to have a sister and a niece in law who were so similar and together were even more of a force to be dealt with but even so, he would care for her as his own as he has done with Fili and Kili.

"You are a strange woman." Fili said as he brushed a stray curl behind her ear that had a few piercings he'd never seen before.

"I hope that's a good thing." Charlie said with a wide grin, waggling her eyes at him.

"The best of things." Fili responded sincerely.

This was the start of his new life in this new and strange world, a world that was now his home for the foreseeable future. A future and a life that he would be building with Charlie, his soulmate, his One. A future that would be filled with adventures, with love and laughter and all the things the both of them wished to have.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

I told you we'd be getting to the good stuff soon, more to come!

Khuzdul translations

Kidhuzurâl – golden one


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter Seven

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Six Years Later ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It's been six years, six very long years since Fili was torn from his homeland, his family and kin, and everything that he ever knew. For six years he has been in this world called Earth, and ever since he landed here and found his One in Charlie he has done his best to create a life for himself and to live his life to the fullest that he possibly could. It was not easy being in this place at first, he was angry, frustrated and discontent, he felt guilty for wanting to get away for a while that day and that he was forcefully removed from Middle-Earth without a way to get word to his family. He felt guilty that now all of the responsibilities that had been his are now on Kili's shoulders – his brother wasn't meant to be next in line, he didn't want responsibility like that and never has but now because Fili was on Earth, it was forced upon him. Fili missed his family every moment of everyday, especially his mother who he could have used when he and Charlie had first become parents. He missed the childish antics of his brother Kili, who he knew without a doubt that Charlie would get on with and would call him brother and be thick as thieves with him, as well as Marlie and Astryd. He missed Thorin, and though his uncle could be a little gruff and rough around the edges he did care and wanted what's best for his family and people.

But Fili has come to terms with what happened to him and with what he lost, there are good days and bad days to that of course, but Charlie was always there for him if he needed her and she also gave him the space he needed if he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts and memories of his family. But Fili has moved on as much as he can and made a life in this strange modern world and so far it's been a hell of a life.

He had Charlie who was the love of his life, and the two of them had gotten married not even a year after they had met in a mix of a modern ceremony to honor Charlie's people and mixed with some of the traditions of Fili's people as well. They've had adventures together, going places that the two of them wanted to see and to show Fili other amazing places in the United States, going to Charlie's home state to meet her family, going on vacations where the two of them just got to relax and enjoy one and another's company. It is something that Fili never would have been able to do back in Erebor, there was much too much responsibilities and things that he needed to attend to on bequest of Thorin. But, together Fili and Charlie have created a life together that produced two, beautiful children.

Marlie had been a bit of a surprise, they hadn't yet planned on having children yet and their marriage was still a year off but nonetheless the two of them were overjoyed about the news that they were going to be parents. Marlie, who was named after Charlie's grandmother on her mom's side was basically the spitting image of her mother with the same facial expressions, same curly blonde hair and dark brown eyes, the only thing that was different was that she had a bit less curly hair than her mother and her blonde was colored more like her father's.

Three years after Marlie had been born they had another daughter, Astryd. But Astryd had Fili's deep blue colored eyes but her mother's curly hair and blonde coloring and now, once again, Charlie was pregnant and would be having the baby within the next few weeks if not sooner.

"What are you doing awake?" the sleep heavy voice of his wife spoke from below him.

Fili looked down from where he was laying on his side and saw Charlie, slowly blinking her eyes tiredly, attempting to focus on him. "Thinking." He replied.

"Sounds like some dangerous stuff." Charlie quipped to him, a small smile on her face as she reached up and cupped the side of his face before gently batting at his braided mustache – like a child would – and gently ran her fingers through some of his beard hair before looking back up at him. "What are you thinking about?"

Rather than answering Fili moved down until he was eye to eye with Charlie and gently kissed her lips, then her forehead and then wrapped an arm around her form, one of his hands resting on her nearly nine months pregnant belly to feel their unborn child moving animatedly within her. "The life we have together." He stated with a soft smile as he laid his head besides Charlie's on her pillow.

"Pretty damn good one if I do say so myself, I think I add a lot to this life personally." She joked, giving him a playful wink in response. "You and I make pretty damn cute dwarflings my Amrâlimê." She spoke and looked at him lovingly.

Fili smiled at her and gently played with the braid he had put into her hair the day that they married, a clasp he had made himself and engraved holding it in place and from unravelling. Once Fili had told Charlie what she was to him and what it meant for the future he began to teach her about his people – dwarves. About their history, their rivalry with Elves and why they still had a tendency to not trust them as much, he taught her more of the creation of dwarves, and about Durin who he is a direct descendant of through his mother, and he taught her their language and their rune writing. Though he may no longer be in his world, he would not let his customs and teachings die with him, Charlie was his wife and thus was allowed to know the sacred language and history and their children as well so it would live on.

"How long do you think we have before they demand attention?" Fili asked as he closed his eyes and pulled Charlie closer to him, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck making her giggle from his facial hair tickling her.

A loud knock and a giggle was the answer.

Charlie sighed, a small pout on her face. "I'd say little to none." She replied, still keeping her eyes closed. "Close your eyes, if we can't see them then they won't know that we're really here!" she stage whispered to Fili, a smirk on her face.

"I fear they are smarter than the average spawn." Fili whispered back as the door opened and in walked two small blonde headed children, one aged five and the other aged two, both trying to walk quietly but neither managing to do so.

"Amad! Adad! Wake up! It's morning, breakfast time!" Marlie yelled right into Fili's ear as she jumped up and down in front of the bed looking at them and waiting for them to get up. "We're hungry!" she said dramatically, a trait that was definitely gained from her mother.

"Hungry!" Astryd said as she waddled up to the bed and tried to get up to shake Charlie and Fili awake.

Charlie cracked an eye open and looked at her eldest daughter with raised brow, "And who, young lady, said you could come in without knocking first?" She asked carefully, looking at her daughter.

Marlie shrugged, "My stomach?" she questioned. "We've been awake forever!" more like twenty minutes. "It made gurgly noises and I thought it was gonna eats me, it wants food Amad." She told her.

Fili grabbed Astryd and sat up with her in his lap as Marlie climbed up into the bed and sat between her parents' legs, a wide grin on her face that made her look just like Charlie that it was eerie. "Who told your stomach that it could eat? Hmm? I don't recall saying yes to it."

"It's me, saying I want yum yum." Marlie said to them as she crossed her arms. "Please, please, please. Get up, we can't make breakfast, we're too little!" she said.

Astryd smiled and planted a wet kiss on Fili's cheek, "Adad, make 'cakes and 'rup." She said to him hopefully.

"I suppose we could possibly get up," Charlie said dramatically and flung herself back onto the bed. "Somehow we'll get out of this bed and then we can go make pancakes and have syrup with them."

At that the two girls squealed excitedly, "Cakes, cakes, cakes!" they chanted happily.

"First," Charlie commanded, gaining their attention. "You need to let us get dressed and go downstairs and wait for us in the living room. And Marlie," she said looking at her eldest daughter. "I need you to do me a BIG favor, the biggest."

Marlie hearing that looked at her mother excitedly, it wasn't very often she got to do favors and do adult things for her mom. "What?!" she asked and bounced in bed barely able to contain her impatience.

"You and Astryd are in charge of feeding Godzilla and Ragnar, do you remember how to get them their food?" Charlie asked as she looked into her daughter's dark eyes.

"Go'zilla!" Astryd yelled happily, clapping her hands.

"We can do it!" Marlie said happily and jumped off the bed and nearly ran out of the bedroom but then remembered her sister, she went and helped her sister off the bed and held her hand as they made their way out of the room and downstairs to hopefully feed the dogs with not too much of a mess.

Charlie smiled at the two, glad that Marlie decided to the be the kind of sister who wanted to help her younger one and who loved her and wanted to show her things….for the most part, until it comes to her unicorn stuffed animals. The kid was stingy as hell when it came to sharing her unicorn things. It was the kind of relationship Charlie always wished she could have had with her sister Chloe, but at least through raising her daughters she could teach them what she wished her and her sister could have had.

"Come, they will only be patient for so long." Fili said as he stood up and went over to the closet to find some clothes to wear for the cool summer day, it will be fall soon.

"Ugh," Charlie said as she flopped back down on the bed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Do I have to?"

Fili shook his head at her, "Yes my love, we're their parents. We have to get up and get dressed." He told her. "And you need to take them to Eileen's, they've been waiting all week to go visit her for a few days."

"Ugh, being an adult sucks sometimes." Charlie responded, earning a snort of amusement from Fili. "I feel bad having her watch them, she's getting older and those two are energetic little balls of energy." She said.

"Eileen loves those girls as if they were her own flesh and blood my love, do not feel guilt for having her watch them. She wishes to help and she decided to watch them for a few days so you can get proper rest without chasing after two young children, so that you can finish any last things for this baby." He said as he laid his hands upon her pregnant stomach. "And she knows that our home will be hectic and that we will soon be outnumbered by our children, she wants us to enjoy this peace before it ends."

At that Charlie grumbled to herself, "I guess." She said to herself and then grimaced for a moment when she felt a jab of pain, a Braxton Hicks contraction. Mahal, she hated those.

Sitting up Charlie began the process of getting out of bed which nowadays was not an easy feat, she was more baby than not, her stomach making her look like a whale and trying to get up and off of anything was a workout that usually left her breathless. So scooting her but and wiggling around she attempted to get to the end of the bed, but of course when she bought her bed she just had to get a king bed that was work just to get to the edge of it when a person wasn't pregnant.

"Fili," Charlie said with a sigh. "I need help. I can't get up."

Trying to not laugh, Fili went over to Charlie once he had finished pulling his shirt on and buttoning his pants and smiled down at her. "You're adorable when annoyed." He said and leaned down to kiss her forehead before he grasped her around the upper arm and pulled her up. "Anything else?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I'll be damned if I can't put my own clothes on, I may have to do it a weird way to get them on but I'll do it!" she said stubbornly. "Now you go downstairs and start making food for Marlie and Astryd and hopefully I'll be down soon." She said as she turned him around and shoved him towards the door.

Fili chuckled heavily as he headed out the door, and Charlie gave a sigh once he was out of the room and looked down at her overly large pregnant belly and to her closest to find something to wear. Charlie swore on her life that this would be the last time that she was going to be pregnant, she was done for business. Three kids is more than enough for her, and this pregnancy has been especially trying for her and this kid of hers was especially violent in the womb and moving all of the time making it hell for Charlie to try and get even a few hours of sleep. It seemed the moment she actually was comfortable and about to fall asleep the kid kicked her right in the ribs, bladder or whatever other organ was close.

"Oh come on!" Charlie yelled down at her belly as she felt a particularly hard kick. "You're only kicking me because I was complaining about you." She said to her unborn child.

Really, she could not wait until it was time to give birth

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Middle-Earth ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Every year on the anniversary of when Fili had disappeared Thorin, Dis and Kili, along with Dwalin for added protection, would go to where Fili had been attacked and taken from. It was a way to honor and remember him. For Kili, every year they went out here to this place he hoped that something…anything would show up as a sign of where Fili had gone to, to what happened to him, just anything so they could have proper closure for what happened to him but nothing ever did. And so, Kili still had to hope that his brother was alive even if all the odds were against that being true. He had to believe.

It was hard for both Dis and Thorin to come here each year, to come to the place that they knew as being the last place that Fili was alive and where he was possibly either taken from or killed at but they came to this spot nonetheless – for Kili. Kili and Fili had been close as siblings could be, they were joined at the hip from the moment that Kili was born and got into even more trouble once he was able to walk and go with Fili wherever he went.

"Kili?" Dis questioned, as she gently nudged her pony closer to her son's and reached over and grasped his arm and squeezed supportively. "I do not wish to anger you Kili but…..but perhaps if coming here takes such a toll on you as it seems it may be time to stop coming here." She said to him gently, not wishing to anger or hurt him.

"Amad, no I…I need to come here." Kili responded, his voice thick with emotion.

At that Dis looked to him, "Kili, it hurts you to come here each and every year. You hope to find something that is lost to us, it has been years there are no clues that will come up to tell us what happened to Fili. I am sorry." She said to him. "I desperately wish that something would come up that would tell us what happened, so we will finally know what happened and no longer wonder and think the worst of the worst but that isn't how life words my son, we will never know. And I do not wish for you to be in pain."

Thorin watched the two from a distance as they talked, acting as if he could not hear what they were talking about but he could hear everything his sister said to his nephew. Kili hasn't been the same ever since Fili had disappeared six years ago, the nephew he loved and cared for that acted childish and as a young dwarfling would, the playful nephew who always was smiling or grinning, the nephew who he thought too childish and immature to come on a quest to retake Erebor was gone to them all. In his nephew's place was someone that he always wished Kili would be like but now that the obedient, quiet and reserved dwarf was here he did not wish for him. Thorin preferred his nephew as he was before, he wished desperately that there was something any of them could do to bring his nephew back from the dark place he was in but he feared nothing would, nothing but Fili.

"My heart hurts Amad, it hurts and has been hurting for six years. It hasn't gone away." Kili spoke quietly, looking at his mother with a forlorn expression that has lived on his face for the past six years. "I have tried to move on, I have tried to accept that he is gone, but I can't. I can't let him go until I know what happened. Sometimes I feel as if I can sense or feel him." He spoke.

Hearing those words Dis closed her eyes for a moment, feeling even more sympathy for her youngest, and feeling utterly helpless. "Oh, inùdoy. I wish I could ease this for you, the pain and hurt that you feel." She said to him, the love she felt for her child and his suffering showing in her blue eyes that mirrored Kili's.

Kili sighed and looked ahead wishing that he could fix himself, that he could be the person he used to be, the person that he knew his mother and uncle miss and wish to have back but things have changed. He changed the moment his brother was lost to him, he had to change so that he could step up for Thorin and become his heir and learn the steps of becoming the next King Under the Mountain when that time came, he had to learn politics and the double meanings of Lords – they may say one thing but they mean another. He did not like these things but it was necessary, and he was simply no good at it. Fili was though.

"Is this how you feel everyday without Adad?" Kili questioned his mother carefully.

Dis gave a small nod, "Imagine how you are feeling and add it by a hundred times, that is how I feel. It does get easier over time, but I still lost him and miss him desperately, but I am reminded of him everyday by you and I was when Fili was with us as well. I will never forget my husband, but we cannot wallow in the past for the people we miss. Life will pass us by if we allow that to happen." She stated. "You musn't allow that to happen Kili, you musn't. I love you too much for that."

Before Kili was able to respond to what his mother said, the sound of Dwalin and Thorin yelling to them broke Dis and Kili from their private talk that they were having. Not understanding what both Thorin and Dwalin were yelling towards them, Kili turned around to look at his uncle and his most trusted friend, furrowing his brow he saw them pointing in front of both Kili and his mother, and giving them worried and panicking looks. Turning and looking in the distance Kili's eyes widened, not but a few feet in front of himself and his mother was an eerie blue light that was getting bigger and bigger the longer they waited.

"Amad, we must turn back." Kili said desperately, as he began to turn his pony towards his mother's who began to go in the direction he was. "It is not safe."

"What is that?" Dis said with wide eyes as she looked at the blue light that was forming.

"Kili! Dis! Come away!" Thorin yelled as he and Dwalin rushed their ponies towards Dis and Kili, hoping to make it in time to pull them away from this strange phenomenon.

It was too late though, soon the light engulfed the immediate area and Thorin, Dwalin, Dis and Kili were within it's range. The light was so bright that the four of them needed to close their eyes from the brightness, it was too painful to keep their eyes open to see what this strange blue colored light was doing to them exactly. The next moment they opened their eyes they were in a strange and unfamiliar land, just behind them were woods but in front of them was a strange and very large house, what looked to be a small barn, a garden to the left of the home but these things were strange looking and the house was constructed oddly and looked like no house they've ever seen before.

"Fuck!"

So, Charlie was wrong about the pain she felt that morning being Braxton Hicks, she was very, very wrong about them. In fact she was the exact opposite of right, and apparently the pangs that she's been feeling the last few hours was in fact very real contractions. In Charlie's defense neither of her two daughters had ever been early – she still had two and a half weeks to go – in fact they were always at least two weeks late with them. Fili suggested them driving into the city once she realized what was going on and that she was in active labor but Charlie knew it was too late, they live thirty some minutes from the closest small town and to the nearest big city that actually had a hospital was even further and nearly an hour or more from where they lived – she just had to get a house that was out in the middle of nowhere. So instead she told him that they were going to be having this kid here at home, that it was too late to get to town or to even call her doula to come and help, they were on their own.

"Love, are you certain you don't want to go upstairs to have the baby?" Fili questioned for the last time.

At that Charlie growled back at him, "Yes, Fili I'm sure. I don't care what you think will make me more damn comfortable, I'm staying down here. We are having the baby right here. Stop. Fucking. Asking." She hissed angrily at him.

Charlie was wearing a homemade teal colored birthing gown that had a floral design on it and the sleeves had lace around it, it was the same one she gave birth in with Marlie and Astryd. At the moment she was kneeling down in front of the couch, her fists clenched so tightly that her fingernails were digging into her palm and she was moaning loudly into a pillow and she was even trying those stupid breathing exercises that they teach all pregnant woman but they did squat shit for her, just made her feel like a complete idiot.

Fili was crouched behind her form, rubbing her back gently up and down and trying to soothe the pain the best he could for her, "I know it hurts my love, I know, but you are one of the strongest females I know, and fierce, and the most beautiful one at that. You are an amazing woman. Everyday I give thanks to Mahal for you, for putting you in my path, for what you have given and done for me." Fili said to her gently, kissing the back of her neck gently.

Charlie let a few tears from the pain escape and gave an exhausted sigh as the contraction passed and leaned back against Fili, getting her breath and strength back. "You're just saying that to butter me up so I don't completely destroy you're appendages when I start pushing."

"I'll never reveal the truth," Fili stated playfully to her. "But, it is all true." He spoke genuinely, lovingly caressing her cheek.

Never in her life did Charlie think she would decide to give birth the natural way, sure, she had tattoos and could take a person poking her over and over with a needle to put ink into her skin but childbirth was a whole different sort of pain, a pain that she did not like to feel without pain killers. Unfortunately, her unborn child had decided that she was going to experience giving birth the natural way. There was modern medicine for a reason, to ease the childbirth pain obviously. If Fili thought she was bad with an epidural she couldn't imagine what he would think of her without it, she had a feeling she wasn't going to be the nicest during the birthing process.

"We are not having anymore kids after this one Fili, seriously, no more." Charlie said out of breath, and pushed back a curl out of her eyes that managed to escape the messy bun she put her hair into. "If you want more kids after this you get to figure out how you can carry them for nine months instead of me."

"That is fine my Kidhuzurâl, you have given me more than I could ever ask for." Fili said to her.

Before Charlie was able to respond to that through the large windows in the living room both Charlie and Fili saw an immense blue light flash brightly before it quickly dissipated and left the sky the cloudy overcast it was just minutes before the blue light appeared, a light that looked oddly familiar to both Fili and Charlie.

"Was that what I think it was?" Charlie asked, craning her neck to look at Fili with her tired and pain filled eyes.

Fili looked off towards the woods as if he was stuck in a trance or a memory, a very distinct memory from six years ago. A memory from when he had first landed in this strange world where Magic didn't exist and where there were only Humans. "I….I think it is Charlotte." He spoke in shock, still looking towards where the light had appeared.

"Do, do you think it could be more…people, things from your home?" Charlie asked, thanking Mahal that her contractions have stopped for a while, she knew that they weren't at the pushing stage yet but they were getting close to it.

Fili looked at Charlie and then carefully stood up from her and peered out of the window, it was early evening, only around five or so but the sky made it look much later than it was because of the dark cloudy sky signaling that it was going to rain soon. That made it hard to make out what may have or may have not appeared from the blue light.

"I don't know," Fili answered honestly, brushing his hand along Charlie's shoulder. "It could be, but with this weather as it is I am unable to see for sure if anything did appear." He told her. "I must go and check it out, in case it is something sinister from my homeland."

Charlie gave a nod in understanding, and squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction hit her and slowly released the breath she was holding through her teeth. "Go, make sure what's going on. I'll be fine." She told him.

"Are you-" Fili began to say but was cut off by his wife.

Charlie gave him a pointed look, "I'm in labor Fili, it's not like I'm going into battle. I'll be fine by myself for a few minutes. I promise." She said to him and pulled him down to her level and kissed him purposely. "Now hurry up and see if anything came so you can hurry up and get your ass back here. I love you."

"Such a demanding and stubborn being fit into such a tiny package." Fili said as he pulled away from her. "I love you too. I will be quick as I can." He said and quickly went to the closet in the entry way and pulled out the dual swords that he had arrived with.

Leaving out the front door, Fili cautiously walked towards the woods that he had first arrived in when he came to this world. The woods near the edge of the property was the perfect place to hide in, it was filled with thick and lush trees and vegetation which gave ample hiding places as both Marlie and Astryd liked to utilize when hiding from both him and Charlie.

"Who goes there?" Fili yelled out. "Come out where I may see you, I saw your arrival. I know someone is there." He stated authoritatively.

Getting closer to the tree line Fili could not believe his eyes and for a moment, he thought he was hallucinating what he was seeing with his eyes. There in front of him, on four ponies, were his uncle Thorin, his brother Kili, his mother Dis, and Dwalin. People whom he had thought were lost to him forever, people who he missed desperately and wished every day that he could see once again were standing not but feet from him.

"Amad? Nadad?" Fili questioned, his voice breaking from the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling at the moment at seeing his family once again after six years of being a part. "Thorin? Dwalin? Is that truly you, am I imagining things?" he asked desperately, hoping against hope that he was not imagining all of this, he needed this to be real.

It was his mother who made the first move, "Fili." She stated simply and hurriedly dismounted from her pony and quickly approached him but stopped but a foot from where he stood. "My inùdoy, is it truly you?" Dis asked desperately, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Amad it is me," Fili replied, closing the distance between them and pulling his mother into a needy hug, a hug that he's needed desperately for the last six years. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Amad. I had no way to contact you. I-" he cut himself off and closed his eyes as his mother continued to hug him to herself.

"Fili, you live, you are alive, my eldest still lives." Dis cried, moreso talking to herself than to Fili or any of the others. "We thought you dead Fili, we thought that something…it does not matter," she said shaking her head. "You are alive and that's what matters."

"Amad, I missed you." Fili said and pulled her into another hug, tears forming in his eyes now that he had finally seen his family once again after so long of being separated.

It was Thorin who came up to him next and embracing his nephew and letting out a breath he felt as if he had been holding in since Fili had first disappeared. "Fili." He said in his deep, gruff tone of voice. "I am glad to lay eyes on your face once again nephew, it has been too long. Mahal has smiled upon us." He said to him and pressed his forehead against his blonde-haired nephew's before releasing him from his hold.

Fili smiled before he turned towards his brother who had rushed off of his own pony when their mother had, "Kili." He said simply and within moments Kili had rushed to his brother and wrapped his arms around him desperately, as if he was afraid if he let go of him that he would disappear and that everything would just be a figment of his imagination.

"Fili." Kili said quietly, not caring that tears were going down his face at the moment, he was finally reunited with his brother for the first time in six years, a brother that he had never given up hope on and believed that he still lived. "You're alive, I…I…just. Thank Mahal you are alive, I never doubted that you lived." He said to him finally letting him go from his hold. "Never leave me in such a way again."

"I do not plan on it." Fili said sincerely.

"It's great to know that you are alive laddie," Dwalin said from atop his pony while holding onto the other pony's reigns when their riders unceremoniously left them.

Thorin took a closer look at the land they were in now with a furrowed brow, he knew Middle-Earth and the land around his kingdom like the back of his hand. He knew what every tree was called, what every plant looked like, and every animal they may come across, he knew exactly what the forests and woods around his kingdom and the ones surrounding him were supposed to look like and this was not it. This place was strange and unfamiliar, the trees and plants unfamiliar, the rather large dog that was laying on the porch outside the odd home was like none he'd ever seen before. There was a mountain in the distance but it was like none of the mountains in Middle-Earth that he knew of.

"What land are we in? What is this place?" he questioned.

Fili gave a sad smile at that question, "This is not our world, that blue light that brought you here had brought me here all those years ago when I had been fighting a few Orcs. We are in a land called Montana, this is the home of my wife and I." Fili answered as he looked to his family and Dwalin when he revealed that.

Hearing those words Dis gave a gasp, holding her hand over her heart. "You have wed? You have found your One, your yâsith?" she questioned with soft eyes as she stared at him.

"I have, she is inside right now. She is in labor with our child, we thought that we had more time than we did and now we are too far gone into labor to get a healer here or to get to one." Fili replied, a worried look on his face but then looked at his mother hopefully. "Amad, can you help us. I know you had helped after Erebor had first fallen with the births of dwarflings on the road." He said to her.

"You needn't even ask Fili," Dis said to him, cupping the side of his face lovingly. "I would be honored to help bring my first grandchild into the world." She said.

"Third." Fili responded with a smile, amused at the shocked look on his family's faces. "This will be our third child."

It was Kili who broke the shocked silence, "You certainly busy while gone brother." He said with a wide grin on his face.

It was the first true smile that Kili had given in years, it gave Dis hope that soon her youngest son would be back to his old self within time.

"All the same, lead me to her." Dis said, her version of a battle face settling on her face which took on an even more serious look when they heard a pained scream coming from within the house. "I believe that is my sign that I am needed. Take me to her Fili, you three." She said turning towards Thorin, Dwalin and Kili. "Put the ponies in that there small barn." She said.

Neither Thorin, Kili or Dwalin even dared to argue against the orders that Dis had just given them, they all valued their life too much. Dis may be the more calm sibling between herself and her brother and it took much longer to bring her anger out but that did not mean that the Durin temper didn't also affect her as it did her brother; none wished to face her wrath when she was angry and not even Thorin would wish to send her off on their worst enemy. Thranduil, possibly.

Fili took a deep breath, doing his best to reel in his emotions that were causing havoc within himself at the moment. He had missed his mother more than he even imagined; he missed her warmth, her comfort, her fierceness, her stubbornness and her temper, and he even missed getting yelled at by her. He missed having his mother around so much, though right now was a hectic time with Charlie in the midst of labor, he was glad that he now had his mother once again and could not wait to catch up and spend quality time with all of his family once his unborn child is born.

Honestly, when Charlie had first told Fili that she was in labor and that the contractions were much too close to get to a hospital or even have her Doula come he panicked. For as long as Fili has been in this world for and seeing the things that could happen to mothers and complications that could arise, he much preferred her to be in a hospital where trained medical professionals could be at hand if it was needed. Having his mother there, who was experienced in childbirth both from her own experience and helping many other dwarrowdams give birth settled his nerves a bit.

"She is just in the main room, I tried to convince her to go to our bedroom but she said she refused to ruin the bedding. Our other two children are staying with a close family friend while this is happening." Fili stated as they walked up the porch steps and opened the door to the Livingroom where Charlie was now sitting on her knees and grasping onto the couch cushions, slowly rocking herself back and forth to ease the pain.

While Fili approached and spoke to his wife Dis stood back and studied the girl whom was her son's One; she was human looking but definitely had dwarf attributes (Maybe dwarves had come here the same way they did and settled), she could tell even from the woman's kneeling position that she was short as was common in their people, she was pale, and had long wild curly blonde hair that was a lighter shade than Fili's.

Fili crouched down beside Charlie and kissed her temple lovingly and massaged the back of her neck from his position as best be could. "Charlie, my Kidhuzurâl," he said and bent his head to touch her own. "My family is here, the light brought them to your home as it did to me all those years ago." He spoke.

Hearing that, Charlie pulled away and looked over at Fili in shock at what she heard and then turned to look over her husband's shoulder and saw a dark haired woman standing back and looking at the two lovingly. "Help me stand." She said as she looked into his blue eyes, giving him a stubborn look.

At that he looked at her hesitantly, unsure if that was a good idea. "Charlie, I don't think you should do that in your current condition, you're in pain and in labor." He said to her.

"Fili!" Charlie admonished with a growl. "I'm pregnant not disabled, all of my limbs are in working order which who knows if that will be true for you once I start giving birth and how angry I get. So, you will help my pregnant ass up and I will meet your family standing on my own two feet, labor or no labor." Charlie said to him fiercely, a glare on her face as she looked up at Fili who still looked as if he was going to try and convince her otherwise.

"You should be comfortable, you are about to give birth. You don't need to stand if you do not wish to. They'll understand." He stated to her, imploring her to agree with him.

But either that went over Charlie's head or she purposely chose to ignore it, "I wish to stand up." She mocked, and pushed herself into a sitting up position and grabbed Fili's hand tightly. "So help me god Fili, either help me do it or I will do it myself."

A deep booming laugh interrupted the two's mini argument, "You seemed to have found someone who is very similar in attitude to your mother laddie, may Mahal help you." Dwalin said from behind him, Fili hadn't even noticed that Thorin, Kili and Dwalin had come in while he and Charlie were arguing.

"And what does that mean Dwalin?" Dis questioned, her arms crossing as she looked over at the dwarf. "Is there something wrong with me that I have not been told?"

Dwalin immediately shook his head, "No, of course not."

Charlie looked at Fili expectantly and held her hands out to him, waiting for him to take them and help her stand up. Standing up himself, Fili gently grasped Charlie's hands and steadily helped her up to her feet and made sure she was steady before letting her hands go.

"Thank you amrâlimê," Charlie said to him, one moment going from growling at him as a wild cat would and back to the semi-sweet woman he married – every pregnancy she was like this.

Dis couldn't help but give a small laugh at watching her son interact with his wife, it seems that her son's yâsith would be fitting within the family just fine if her stubbornness was anything to go by. Not only did she have the stature of a dwarf but the stubbornness of one as well, in fact she reminded Dis of herself when she was a much younger dwarf.

With an air of confidence and stubbornness Charlie walked herself over towards where Fili's family was standing and waiting patiently for the two, before Fili even had a chance to open his mouth Charlie introduced herself. "I'm Charlotte, but only my mother calls me that when she's angry or yelling at me because of something I did." She said playfully earning a grin from a few of the dwarves in front of her. "I go by Charlie, it's wonderful to meet all of you. I've heard so much about you all."

Without a moments of hesitation did Dis move forward and embrace the young woman in her arms and hug her to her person as much as she could (Charlie's very pregnant belly made it a bit complicating). Dis thought she had her emotional moment outside already, when she saw that Fili was alive but seeing her son and his wife together, knowing that this woman had taken her son in without a second thought and seeing the life that Fili has built with Charlie just made all of her emotions come to the forefront of her mind once again.

When Dis did that and began to cry Charlie looked over at Fili and gave him an uncertain look and all he did in response was shrug, at that Charlie just wrapped her arms around the dwarf woman who was Fili's mother who she had only heard stories about. Hugging the woman was actually really comforting, Charlie's own mother barely getting to visit her and barely video chatting with her through the phone or computer so having a mother figure to hug and hold was very nice especially with her soon to give birth.

"You have no idea how thankful I am to you my nathith," Dis spoke as she pulled away from Charlie and gently cupped her face, staring intently into the girl's eyes so she knows how sincere she was. "You have done more for our family than you will ever realize, we are forever in your debt for what you've done for Fili when he first came to this land of…Montana." She said to her.

Charlie smiled at her mother in law, "Personally, I only let him stay because he had an epic beard, just couldn't say no to that braided 'stache of his." She joked, and sent a playful wink over to her husband.

"Ahh, sister I do believe we are going to get along great," Kili said with a wide grin on his face as he looked down at Charlie. "I'm Kili." He said and gave a slight bow to her.

"So you're the one who's always getting into trouble." Charlie joked.

Kili pulled a fake offended look, "Me? I would never even dare. I'm completely innocent." He stated.

Dis gave a scoff and looked at her youngest, "I birthed you child, that is a lie if I have ever heard one." she said and swatted at his arm. "What lies you tell child."

"And this, is my uncle Thorin and a close family friend, Dwalin." Fili said, introducing the last two of the group to Charlie.

For a moment Charlie looked at Thorin uncertain, not sure what she was supposed to say or do. She felt like just saying hi like she did to Kili and greeting him like she did Fili's mother wasn't exactly the right way. Thorin was a king, and yes, technically Fili was a prince but it was different, Thorin had an air of intimidating that just oozed out of him and had a very stoic face.

It was Thorin who had greeted Charlie, "Welcome to the family Charlotte," he said and gave a small but true smile. "I will never be able to fully repay or thank you for all that you have done for us, for Fili while he was gone from us. I am forever in your debt." He said and bowed to her.

"No, no. stop with saying I'm in your guys' debt and all that, seriously. It's fine." Charlie said to them and then looked at Thorin. "And no calling me Charlotte, my name's Charlie." She said stubbornly as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes up at him defiantly.

Thorin looked down at the woman and couldn't help but be amused, she was rather refreshing. She acted as if she did not care about him being King and treated and talked to him as she would Fili, she did not watch her words and did not act as if she was stepping on eggshells around him which so many people did – his advisors and other Lord's especially. His family are the few people that he never wished to have treat him as if he was on a pedestal and he was thankful this girl did not even hesitate to act as Fili, Kili or Dis would.

"You truly do have the stubbornness and fire of any dwarf." Thorin stated as he looked at her. "I still will not call you Charlie, your proper name is Charlotte and that is what you shall be." He stated with a voice of finality.

Charlie gave him a look, "I'll allow it for now, eventually I'll win you over on the Charlie thing though. Just you wait." She responded.

"It's great to meet you lass," Dwalin said simply and gruffly. "Glad to know Fili is all right thanks to you."

Just as Charlie was about to respond to that she instead turned into Fili in pain and grasped his shirt into her fists tightly and pressed her face into the crook of his neck from the pain. God, if she wasn't certain in her decision to not have anymore children after this she was definitely sure now since her contractions were getting closer and closer and especially with having to do everything the natural way. She was not a fan.

"Jesus fucking christ, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." Charlie said loud enough for everyone to hear and did her best to take calming breaths but the pain made it really hard to concentrate, god how she wanted an epidural or something, anything to numb the pain right now. "I can't, I'm done with this. You can finish." Charlie said to Fili desperately, a few tears escaping her eyes from the pain. "It hurts too much."

The sudden change in the mood made Dis take charge, "I know we have only just met Charlie, but I am going to help you nathith, I've helped in many deliveries and am more than honored to help in the birth of my third grandchild." Dis said as she came forward and took Charlie by the arm and began leading her away from the group of men and further into the living room. "Where are you comfortable?" She questioned.

"Right now? The floor." Charlie admitted. "Standing hurts like a bitch, sitting is the only thing that even lessens the pain a smidge."

"Then let's get you to the floor, come on girl, I believe in you." Dis said to her and ignored the odd phrase that Charlie used to describe her pain and instead helped her until she was sitting cross legged on the floor and leaning forwards against a coffee table, her arms splayed out in front of her. "Fili," Dis commanded as her son turned her attention to her. "You will take Thorin, Dwalin and Kili out of here and then get me a large bowl of hot water and a few large towels and washing cloths. Now." She ordered.

Fili nodded without hesitation and then led the men out of the living and through a door that was on the far side of the room that led to the kitchen where they could sit during the duration of Charlie's labor.

"Here, take my hand and just squeeze if it begins to hurt." Dis said to Charlie and brushed her blonde curls off of her tired and sweaty face in a motherly fashion. "I know it hurts but just think, soon you will have a wonderful gift of another child to add to your family and any and all pain that you are going through will make it worth it. I know it doesn't seem so right now but it will be." She said to her.

"I just want it over." Charlie said desperately, hating being pregnant and hating that she's barely gotten any sleep in the last four or five months because of how active her unborn child seems to be in the womb. "I don't think I can do this."

Hearing that Dis gave her a look, "You look at me child," she commanded which Charlie didn't even hesitate to do. "You are a strong woman, I can tell just from how you hold yourself and the fact that Fili loves and cares so deeply for you. You have two beautiful children already that you brought into this world, you are stubborn, fierce and even managed to impress Thorin on your first meeting. You can do this. I know it." She said to her. "Now, tell me of my other two grandchildren. It will help distract you from the pain."

Closing her eyes for a moment and grimacing through the pain, Charlie began to tell Dis about her two daughters. "Marlie is the oldest, she's six and looks almost just like me. She's got my skin tone, has brown eyes just like me but doesn't have as curly hair as me and has more of Fili's colored blonde hair than mine. Unfortunately is just like me, stubborn, hardheaded, can be argumentative sometimes depending on what it's about, and I can't imagine how horribly sarcastic she's going to be as she gets older." She said shaking her head and looking at Dis. "Astryd is three, reminds me of Fili so much but with my curls and my blonde coloring, I love her blue eyes that are just like Fili's and yours. She always wants to go on adventures and help everyone she can, and any animal that is small and cute and fluffy she wants to bring home." She said with a shake of her head.

"I can't wait to meet them." Dis said with a soft smile as Fili came back with a large bowl of hot water and a handful of towels and wash cloths. "Set them down here and then leave us." She commanded which Fili did without question, he quickly leaned down to kiss Charlie on the lips before retreating back to the kitchen with the others.

Charlie was quiet for a moment and tried to breathe through yet another contraction, she knew without a doubt that she would soon have to start pushing with how close these were getting. Sitting here in silence with just Dis as her company, Charlie smiled to herself and could see why Fili said that she and his mother would get along so well. They both seemed to be similar in personality; Dis had fire, stubbornness and didn't back down – at least from the stories that Fili told her – and those were all things that Charlie was known to be too. She just hoped the more Dis got to know her that she would continue to like her as she did now.

"I'm going to check you, to see how close you are to being fully dilated. I will have to use my fingers so do not be surprised at the feeling, all right Charlie?" Dis questioned as she looked at her daughter in law intently, making sure that she understood her.

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. I know the drill." Charlie told her as she resituated herself so she was instead had her back sitting against the couch so that Dis could more easily access and see what she needed to.

"Oh! Mahal!" Dis said in surprise and shock when she felt the head of the baby just a few inches inside of Charlie.

Hearing that Charlie looked at Dis worriedly, thinking that something was wrong. "What? What's going on?" she questioned, tired and exhausted.

"It's nothing to worry about, it just seems we are ready to push, I can feel baby's head." Dis explained to her. "Your child is like Fili was when I was giving birth, impatient to meet the world." She grinned.

When Dis said that Charlie was both relieved and distraught over the thought, she wanted to go to a hospital now, she wanted to be somewhere with pain meds and where there were tons of doctors and nurses. Not where she was by herself and Dis, she knew Dis had survived giving birth to both Fili and Kili but that didn't mean she still didn't worry and think about all the possible complications that might or might not happen – she watched way too many Mystery E.R. shows for her own good.

"I can't do this. I can't, I can't, I can't. It's too much and it hurts so much, I want...I don't know what I want." Charlie said as she cried a bit, tears of fear and frustration rolling down her face.

"Oh nathith," Dis said and pulled the girl in for a quick hug. "I know, I know it hurts beyond anything. That you are tired and so done, I know I am not your mother but I am here for you and I will be helping you every step of the way. I know what I am doing. I promise you. You are in safe and capable hands." She told her. "You must do this so you can see your child, so you may bring your healthy child into the world."

Charlie breathed in raggedly for a few moments, scared and terrified of doing this the natural way and at home but she knew people had been giving birth for thousands of years and the Human race had made it this far so she knew without a doubt she could do this. "Okay, okay. I know. I can do this." She said with a determined face.

"Yes you can, so with this next contraction you are going to push with all that you can, do you understand me. This little child's head is so close to being born with just a brief push and their head shall be born." Dis told her. "So you push with it."

And Charlie did just that not even a moment later when her contraction started up once again, she grabbed tightly onto one of Dis' hands and pushed with everything that she had and did her best to ignore and not think about the excruciating pain that she was in at the moment. She knew that this was all worth it, that this pain she was going through at the moment was so worth it because soon she would be holding a newborn baby in her arms.

"That's it, that's it Charlie! Keep it up, the head is nearly born." Dis encouraged as she began to help guide her grandchild's head out. "All right, rest for a few moments, you're doing so well my dear. So well." She said as she used a washcloth to brush away the sweat from Charlie's face and to help her cool down. "On this next one you must push even more than you just did, we are bringing this child into the world and let try and do it in one push. Having two previous children should help that out."

While Charlie was in the midst of giving birth; Fili, Kili, Thorin and Dwalin were in the kitchen sitting around the kitchen table and sitting there in the awkward silence hearing the muffled words of encouragement that Dis was saying to Charlie and hearing the very vivid noises of pain coming from Charlie. To Thorin, Dwalin and Kili it was awkward and felt a tad bit inappropriate that they could hear everything so well since they'd never been close to where the dwarrowdam's gave birth but to Fili it was normal, he was there with Charlie in the room when she had birthed both Marlie and Astryd.

"I….should we not retire to a different room, or perhaps outside where we would be further from….so we could give the ladies their privacy." Thorin asked awkwardly, stumbling over his words a bit.

That made Fili smirk to himself; his uncle feeling awkward for the first time in many years he's sure. His uncle could face the wrath of a dragon, be held in the dungeons by King Thranduil and insult him to his face, his uncle was unafraid of adversary but the moment he got in hearing distance of a woman giving birth made him act in such a way. It was surely a sight to behold, one he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.

"Uncle, I've never seen you in such a state before," Kili grinned as he looked over at Thorin, though he himself refused to admit that he also felt along the same lines as Thorin did.

"It is inappropriate for us to hear her in such a state." Thorin replied.

Just as Fili was about to open his mouth to respond and explain that in this modern world that things were vastly different, the sound of his wife yelling as loud as she could was heard, swearing and insulting Fili and demanding him to get over to her right at that moment.

"FILI! You get your ass in here right fucking now, you did this to me!" Charlie could be heard. "You are the one who helped this happen and you will bring your stupid ass over here and suffer along with me. Now! I will gouge your eyes out with a rusted metal spork and then disembowel you if you don't get out here right now. As Mahal as my witness I will do it!" she threatened.

Dwalin gave a booming laugh at that, "Your wife definitely has a mouth on her and…an interesting imagination." He said to him. "Good luck."

"FILI!" Charlie yelled once again.

Fili gave a tight smile before he left the kitchen to go to his wife's side.

If Charlie had to suffer though this pain the natural way then she would be damned if she was the only one that had to suffer, Fili was going to be in just as much pain as she was in at the moment. He would hold her hand and if she ended up breaking it or spraining it from the pain then too bad for him, she was basically pushing a small watermelon out of her body right now.

"I'm here my love, I'm here." Fili said to Charlie as he quickly grasped her hand and kissed it and then settled himself behind her, supporting her weight like he's done in the past births of their children.

Dis was about to speak about how Fili should not be there as Charlie was giving birth but then thought better of it, this was a different world with different culture and norms and it seems as though having males in the birthing room with the female's was something that was normal and Charlie seemed more relaxed and relieved with Fili there beside her. Interesting to say the least.

"Fili it hurts, it hurts so much. I…." Charlie cut herself off as she grabbed Fili's hand tightly and squeezed it through the pain.

"Shhh my Kidhuzurâ, you can do this. You are the strongest female I know other than my mother," Fili said as he looked up and smiled at his mother who gave him a gentle one in return. "You know you must do this, you are so close to being finished. So close, I know you can do this. You are too stubborn and determined and fierce to not finish this. You are my everything, my One, and Mahal would not have blessed us with this pregnancy if he did not believe you could do it. So push my love, you must push." He said to her.

So within a minute or less Charlie was once again pushing, pushing her weight against Fili while grasping hard onto his hands and pushing with all her might that she possibly could. Not even after pushing for about two or so minutes was there a piercing cry in the air of their child officially being born into the world. Dis smiled with tears in her eyes as she helped bring her grandchild – grandson – into the world, quickly she cleaned him off with the water that was now warm and cleaned as much of the blood off as she possibly could before she quickly wrapped him up and handed him to Charlie.

"You have a son." Dis said and tried to blink the tears away as she looked at the family.

The moment Charlie was handed her son she couldn't help but let a few tears of relief and thankfulness escape, her son was here. "Hello little one." Charlie whispered softly as she brought her son up to her and lightly kissed his forehead. "Welcome to the world Vali." When he said that Dis eyes watered and she had to quickly close them tightly to not break down completely, they were naming their son after her late husband.

Fili smiled down at his wife and kissed the crown of her head before reaching around her and gently swiping a thumb along his son's small face. "Hello inùdoy, we've been waiting for you." He said, smiling down at him.

Dis watched the two parents for a few minutes, watching as they both looked down at their newborn son with so much love in their eyes. A look that Dis herself remembered having on her own face when she had Fili and then Kili a few years later; to the dwarves a child is a precious thing because of how few of them are born in a year, and even more so if a female dwarf child is born. A gasp of pain from Charlie brought Dis out of her reverie, she looked at the woman in concern and then her eyes widened when she saw movement in her belly area. Another child!

"I swore I was done, what the hell?" Charlie said as she cradled Vali close to her. "What's going on, what's wrong? This doesn't feel like afterbirth!"

"Charlie, you must calm my sweet." Dis said carefully. "You have been blessed with twins it would seem. Your next child is ready to come into the world now. You are going to have to push again."

Hearing that Charlie just cried and held Vali to her and let her head fall back onto Fili in exhaustion, she just didn't think she could do this all over again. She didn't think she would be able to do it with Vali in the first place and now, now she had to do it again because for some reason none of the doctors were able to catch that she was carrying twins – explained her overly large pregnant belly though.

"There hasn't been twins in my family in at least three generations." Charlie said, sounding more and more tired by the moment and just done.

"Well you have been blessed by them, it is time for you to bring little Vali's sibling into the world." Dis said to her resolutely, leaving no room for argument.

Charlie closed her eyes as more tears escaped once again, "I can't do it again. It's…it's too much now. It all hurts and I'm tired, and hungry and I want ice cream and to just go to sleep for a while." She said.

Fili looked down at his wife sympathetically as another contraction hit her, he knew this was a lot for her especially since she was used to modern medicine and getting medicine for the pain so it did not hurt as much as she was feeling now. He wished there was a way for him to take the pain away from her but there was nothing he could do but to be supportive.

"Charlie, Charlie look at me." He said as he shifted her a bit and looked at her seriously. "I know you are tired, you are hungry, you just gave birth to our beautiful son but now we have another child to bring into this world. I know that this is not how you were expecting the birth to go but this is how it is happening. I love you Charlotte, I love you so much and believe in you. I know you can do this, you can and you will because we must meet our other child."

Dis smiled at her son, he was so much like his father. "Yes Charlie, let us bring this last babe into the world to join the family." She said to her. "On the next contraction, lets try and give the biggest push that you've ever had to do and see if we can bring your child into the world in just one push."

Charlie gently laid Vali in the baby sleeper that she had brought down stairs once she realized she was in active labor and then turned to her mother in law and nodded, "Okay, I can do this."

"That's the spirit my girl," Dis said with a smile. "Start pushing when it's time." She said as she got ready to bring another grandchild into the world.

Taking a few deep breaths Charlie felt the intense pain once again and did as Dis had told her, she pushed and pushed and pushed with everything she possibly could, pushed with all the strength she possibly had left in her body. She was determined to make sure her child was born in one go, she was sick of the pain and just wanted to bring her child into the world so that they all could finally rest. Either from stubbornness or just because she had Vali not but ten minutes ago, did she push out the last child in one push just like she wanted.

Dis grinned at Charlie, "Good job, you did so well Charlie, So, so well. I'm proud of you." She told her and quickly cleaned the child off and could not believe her eyes when she saw it was a girl – it seemed these two were predisposition to making girls. "You have another daughter."

At that Fili's eyes widened, "I'm really outnumbered now, aren't I?" he questioned but smiled as his mother handed Charlie their daughter. "What shall we name her?"

"Vivika." Charlie responded.

"You did so well, I'm so proud of you Charlie." Fili said before he leaned down and kissed her soundly.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Amad - mother/mom

inùdoy - son

Kidhuzurâl - golden one

Nadad - brother

amrâlimê - my love

yâsith - wife


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine as usual, except for my lovely original characters!

_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Hope you all are enjoying this so far, thank you to everyone who has put this story on an alert and favorited it! I really do appreciate it. Let me know what you think of it!

Chapter Eight

Listening to his nephew's wife, Charlie, give birth made Thorin realize all of the many things that he had missed out on in his life; finding love, having a wife, creating a home for his wife and future children. When he had been much younger, younger than even Fili and Kili are now, he had imagined a life for himself where he had all of those things that he had imagined but as he got older and after Smaug attacked he accepted that those things were no longer possible. Thorin had all of his people to think about and didn't have time to be selfish or to even think of finding his One, his people were homeless and had very little if any provisions and he needed to think of what was best for them. Somedays his heart ached and he wished that he could have had what very few others of his race had, it had hurt when his sister Dis had found her One and then had children, but he had come to terms with it many years ago and enjoyed being an uncle to the boys. There were still times though, times such as this that made him think of all of the regrets he had.

"You may come in now," Dis spoke as she came into the peculiar looking kitchen of this world, a secretive smile on her face as she looked at the three males and gestured for them to follow her back into the living room.

It was when Thorin finally laid eyes upon Fili and Fili's wife that his eyes widened in shock at the sight, there was not one babe but two that were born, a child resting in each of the parent's arms. Thorin had heard of twins being born to dwarves before, but there had not been any born in his lifetime nor that of his father as far as he knew. The last recorded twin dwarven birth had been over two hundred years ago. Fili and Charlie truly have been blessed by Mahal – four healthy children in all.

"Twins." Dwalin whispered in awe and shock, as he took in the same sight as Thorin.

Fili broke the two out of their shocked gaze, "Uncle, Kili! Dwalin!" he grinned when he noticed that the rest of his kin had joined them in the living room. "Come, meet our children."

Charlie looked up at Thorin and gave a tired but gentle smile, "Sit." She commanded and patted the seat beside her that was open on the couch.

Hesitantly, Thorin sat down beside his niece-in-law who was cradling one of the babe's in her arms and staring lovingly in the small being's eyes with all the love that she could muster. A look that Thorin had seen in his sister's own eyes when she had given birth to Fili and then again when Kili was born. It was the love of a mother.

Kili looked at the babies in shock, then between his brother and Charlie before he shook his head and spoke. "Twins?" he questioned in awe of the two small beings that were now apart of his family.

At that Charlie gave an amused smile, "Yes Kili, twins." She said to the shocked dwarf. "Twins do run in my family, it's been a few generations since any have been born – Edwin and Edward were the last set and they were like the fifth and sixth kid out of like ten I think." She said with a distracted shrug, not noticing the wide eyed gaze of the other dwarves in the room who were not used to people having such large numbers of children like that. "But a welcome surprise, yes you were my darling." Charlie said as she looked over at the babe in Fili's arms and gently kissed her on the forehead before turning back to the others.

"Brother, not only have you produced two daughters which is uncommon for our people you now have twins. Mahal truly has either blessed you or cursed you." He joked to him.

"A mixture of both more than likely." Charlie smirked as she looked at Kili and then Fili. "We're definitely outnumbered now."

"Not outnumbered," Dis said with a soft smile as she kneeled down in front of Charlie and Fili, gently brushing her hands against her two new grandchildren. "You will always have family around to help." She spoke.

When Dis said that it warmed Charlie's heart to hear; her mother had flown in from Minnesota to Montana when Marlie had been born and stayed for about a week but truthfully Charlie needed her mom around longer but unfortunately because of work her mother couldn't and it sucked. Charlie half thought about moving back to Minnesota so she could be closer to her mom but she didn't want to leave the place that was the only way for Fili to get back home to his family, the only place that connected him to the people and home he lost. When Astryd had been born Charlie's mom didn't fly in or anything, she called her and Charlie video chatted with her sometimes but it was nothing like having her there with her. It wasn't like her mother didn't want to be, it was just her mom was tight on money and had obligations to work.

Thorin looked over at the child in Charlie's arms and gently ran a finger down the babe's cheek before looking at Fili and Charlie, "What are their names?"

"This is Vali," Charlie stated and gave a sad smile when she saw the softened but sad look on his face, more than likely remembering the brother-in-law that he had lost all those years ago. "And Fili has Vivika. A boy and a girl."

"Congratulations, both of you." Dwalin said gruffly, feeling as if he was imposing a bit on this family moment for the line of Durin. "You have blessed the line of Durin, lass."

Kili was amazed at the small size of the children his sister-in-law had just given birth to, he of course did know that babies were incredibly small and fragile but it was nothing like seeing them in person to truly realize how true that was. He was almost too afraid to get too close to them for fear that he may accidentally hurt them or make them cry.

"Here, hold her." Fili said and without a moments hesitation put his daughter into his younger brother's arms who looked a tad but panicked, Fili just grinned in amusement and helped Kili readjust his arms so that it was comfortable for Vivika to lay in.

"She has such a strong grip!" Kili said with a laugh as he looked down at Vivika's small face, her eyes wide as she looked up into her uncle's. "She is so tiny." He said softly and brought her up close to him and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Dis had not felt this happy in many, many years; once again her family was complete and together and with five extra members now included, she found out Fili was married and had been for almost as long as he had been gone, that she had two granddaughter's, and then she helped in bringing the two newest grandchildren into the world. This was more than she could ever ask for, she had never felt so filled and overjoyed with life before, at least not in many years. Dis regretted that she never had a chance to be there for Fili and Charlie when they had their first two daughters, that she couldn't help them around the home for a while as they adjusted or to give them advice, that she was unable to be there for those births but she would forever be thankful that she was here now. This night would be something that she would forever cherish in her heart, how Dis wished that Vali could have joined and seen this sight, she wished that he could enjoy their children growing up and having lives of their own, to see Fili become the dwarrow he has, to see the life Fili has made for himself and the children he had.

"Here," Charlie said and set Vali into Thorin's arms without a warning. "Hold him."

"I do not think-" Thorin began to say but Charlie just ignored whatever he was about to say.

What was it with grown middle-aged men, or rather middle-aged looking dwarves who were definitely at least one hundred and fifty years old, and having a fear of holding a newborn baby. Charlie definitely knew that Thorin had at least held Fili and Kili when they were younger, Dis told her so and gave some amusing stories to go along with the visual of the gruff Thorin holding children. Seriously, its like males think babies are poison or something.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little baby." Charlie teased, raising a brow at Thorin who pursed his lips and gave her a dark look for that comment. "He's your grandnephew, hold him. I promise he won't bite." She smirked.

Thorin looked down at Charlie while holding Vali, "Has anyone ever told you that a mouth such as yours will get you in trouble?" he questioned.

At that Charlie grinned widely, "Many, many times over the years." She said to him with a nod of her head. "I just can't help but be a smart ass, I've tried to control it but it just comes out anyways so why fight it. Besides," she said looking away from Vali and up at him. "It'll grow on you in a few weeks, trust me. Soon my smart ass comments will be making you grin, or at least smirk."

"We'll see." Thorin stated gruffly before he looked down at the babe in his arms and softened his eyes as he studied the small child who decided that was the time to grab onto a strand of his long hair and tug with all his might that a newborn could. "There is no need to tug child, I can tell just from how you pull that you will be a warrior to be reckoned with." He said and gave Vali his finger to grip onto instead of his hair.

"They both will be." Charlie responded leaving no room for argument.

Looking over at his wife and his uncle, Fili smirked to himself and observed the two as they looked down at little Vali. He was beyond thankful that his family seemed to already love and care for Charlie, that they didn't even hesitate to treat her as they did him or anyone that they considered kin. Fili knew without a doubt that Charlie would be good for his family; she was stubborn, ungodly sarcastic at times, hardheaded and every other characteristic that made a dwarf a dwarf, she was loving and caring, she listened, she wasn't afraid to argue and face people head on, she didn't care that any of them were royal and would not bow down just because of that fact and that would be challenging for some people to deal with. Charlie was just what the family needed thought, they just didn't realize it yet. Add in Marlie and Astryd who were so much like Charlie too, well it was going to be an adventure.

"Fili," Charlie said as she sat back and leaned against her husband.

"Yes Kidhuzurâ?" Fili responded softly, wrapping an arm around Charlie's waist as he watched his mother steal Vivika from his brother's arms.

Charlie looked up at him and pressed a kiss to his beard, "We make beautiful children." She told him.

At that Fili looked down at her, "You make beautiful children." He said to her and pressed a kiss into her hair, directly onto the braid he gave her when they had gotten married. "You did all the work and kept them safe within you during the pregnancy, you are the one who did all of the work my love. I will forever be grateful to you my yâsith."

"You've given me more than you will ever realize amrâlimê." Charlie spoke softly before lovingly turning her eyes to their family members who were cooing over the babies.

To Charlie it was true what she said to Fili, he has given her more than he will ever realize. He gave her love and devotion, he accepted her and her faults, her fear of love, her self-image issues and doubt of herself. He accepted all of those things about her without hesitation and helped her through them, told her that he loved her everyday and told her what things he loved most about her that day so that she truly realized that she was beautiful to him, that everything about her was the epitome of beauty in his eyes. Fili gave her a family, he gave her Marlie and Astryd, and now Vali and Vivika. Never in her life did she think she would ever find a significant other who'd ever want to get married and have a life and children with her, yet here she is. She was looking in the wrong places her whole life – she apparently needed a sword wielding dwarf not just anyone was suited for her or so Mahal decided.

"I want a bath and to sleep for about twenty years," Charlie said tiredly as she laid her head against Fili's shoulder.

It was then that Dis took charge once again, "I think it is time that we get you to bed nathith," she said as she was rocking Vivika in her arms. "It was a long night and full of surprises, Fili and I shall carry the babies up to your rooms and Thorin can carry you up." She said giving no room for arguments, a memo that Charlie either didn't get or chose to ignore.

Charlie gave her a look, "I don't need to be carried, I can do it myself." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Truly?" Dis questioned doubtfully. "Then let us see you stand my child." She said, giving the blonde haired woman an expectant look.

All of the dwarves in the room looked between the two females, one Fili's wife and the other his mother, none wanting to interfere in the situation. Fili definitely wasn't going to be getting in the middle of this, it was a small argument anyways, but he would not be taking sides between his mother and his wife.

Charlie took a deep breath before she pushed her hands against the couch cushions to help boost herself up but the moment she did her legs felt as if they were made of jelly and she immediately dropped back down onto the couch. Stubbornly, she frowned and crossed her arms while looking down at the floor.

"Let us help you up to your rooms," Dis said gently as she bent down and took her Charlie's hand in hers and did all she could to hold back the amusement she was feeling at Charlie's antics. "Thorin will carry you, won't you Thorin?" she asked and turned to her brother, daring him to say a word against hers.

"Of course," Thorin responded while standing up from the couch and gently handing Fili his son and then turning to Charlie. "Are you ready."

Charlie sighed but nodded, "Yes, since I don't have much of a choice." She said.

At that Fili shook his head at her, "You don't have to do everything yourself, we have help here Charlie." He said and stood up and waited for Thorin to lift his wife up.

Thorin gave a slight smirk of amusement before he leaned down and picked Charlie up so she was basically cradled in his arms, her arm curled around his neck so that she could hold herself up and direct him where her and Fili's room was at. Charlie felt a bit weird and awkward as Thorin was carrying her, she didn't even think her dad had done this for her when shew as a kid, at least not past the age of five or so. It was nice and for a moment she imagined she was much younger than she was and that it was a father figure that was holding her and carrying her to her room.

"Thank you Thorin," Charlie said as he set her down on her bed, a bed that looked much larger than any he had ever seen before, on the right side of the bed was an incredibly fluffy cat who looked as if he was glaring at him.

"Of course Charlotte." Thorin responded and gave a smirk when Charlie gave him a look for using her full name. "I take my leave now, I will see you all in the morning. Get some rest." He said and bent down and pressed his forehead against Charlie's and pressed a quick kiss to it before leaving.

Charlie took on a confused shocked look when Thorin did that, she knew that all she knew of the dwarf king was what she read in the Hobbit and that barely hinted at the sort of person he was and that the stories she heard from Fili didn't really truly tell her the kind of person he was. But even still, him showing her affection like he just did was definitely something she was not expecting to have happen.

"Did he just do what I think he did?" Charlie questioned looking from Dis to Fili in confusion.

Fili just laughed at her as he set Vali into the packn'play crib they had that thankfully was big enough for the twins until they could go into the attic to find the cradle that Fili had made for Marlie when she was first born. They just hadn't had time to bring it down yet since Charlie's due date wasn't for at least three more weeks, but considering it was twins it was no surprise they came earlier than expected.

"You are family." Dis said as if it answered everything. "And he likes you, I can tell. My brother would not do that with just anyone, not even one of my son's wife." She told her as she set Vivika into the crib beside her twin brother. "Is there anything I can do for the two of you right now? Anything you need or what?" she questioned.

Both Fili and Charlie shook their heads at that, "No, amad," Fili said as he grasped his mother's hands in his. "We are fine for now, I promise you. You have done more than enough for us tonight, you helped bring our son and daughter into the world. I do not think there is anything else that we could possibly ask of you." He said to her. "Dolzekh menu."

Dis smiled lovingly at her son, "Oh, inùdoy, I do not need thanks. I am your mother and their grandmother." She said and laid a kiss on his forehead. "I love you Fili, you've created a life for yourself and have a loving family. You grew up on me." She told him. "Your father would be proud."

"I know." He said to her.

Dis sniffed for a moment and dabbed at her eyes before giving a smile to Fili and then gliding towards Charlie, "Rest daughter, you deserve it after this night. We will see you in the morning." She said and quietly approached the crib with the twins in it and gently brushed her thumb against their cheeks before leaving the bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

For a few moments both Fili and Charlie just sat in silence and enjoyed the peace for a while, it was the first moment of peace and quiet they've had most of the night and probably the only one they would have for at least a few years now that they had the twins. Four kids aged six, three and two newborns were going to be a lot of work and be full of hecticness but to both Fili and Charlie it was going to be more than worth it. But for now, the two were going to rest and enjoy the small bit of relaxing and sleep that they could get for the moment, especially since Marlie and Astryd would be coming home the next day.

After all of the excitement of that night Dis was finally by herself sitting outside on the porch of Fili and Charlie's home, a rather large dog sitting beside her with its head laying on her lap. This was the first time that day that she could finally let go of everything, that she could be thankful and relieved that Fili was alive that he was alive and doing well for himself. That she still had both of her sons and now has gained a daughter through Fili, as well as four grandchildren.

Ever since she caught sight of Fili she has been thanking Mahal over and over again this night, thanking him that the Orc's did not kill him, that Fili had landed in this exact place where Charlie resided and she thanked Mahal that Charlie was the kind of person who would take Fili in without a second thought. She thanked Mahal that night for the fact that Charlie had survived giving birth to twins, something that did not always happen, she thanked Mahal for bringing Charlie into Fili and their lives, she was thankful for so many things that she didn't even know what she was most thankful for.

All that mattered is that they found Fili alive and well.

"Sister." Thorin spoke as he joined Dis on the porch, siting beside her and looking at the large dog warily. "How are you?"

Dis gave a smile, "Thankful. So thankful that I have Fili once again, that we will not forever be wondering what happened to him." She stated as she looked up at the sky and the strange stars that she did not recognize. "We finally found him Thorin, we found my son and he is healthy and well. He lives." She said as tears slowly formed in her eyes. "I never believed Kili when he said that he could tell that Fili still lived, I never believed him when he insisted that his brother was alive. I just thought it was his way of dealing with his death, that it was the only way that Kili could cope and keep on living. I know that when Vali had died when Fili and Kili were just children that I was close to not going on, that I was close to joining him but then you came and reminded me that I still had Fili and Kili to think of." She said and took a deep breath before going on. "I truly thought that was how Kili was dealing and mourning Fili, but I am relieved to know that Kili was right all along. My family is once again whole." She stated.

"With five more members added to our family." Thorin said with a small smile that he only allowed his closest family to see.

Dis smiled at that, "She is truly amazing." She told him. "She's exactly the kind of person that I would wish for my son; stubborn, hard headed, willing to stand up for herself, doesn't back down and a force to be reckoned with."

Thorin smirked over at his sister, "Sister, you just described yourself." He stated.

"Perfect then." Dis smiled. "She may be a human but everything else about her is reminiscent of a dwarrow." She told him. "Seeing Fili and Charlie together is an amazing sight; I can see how much love Fili feels for her and how much Charlie loves him and it is all that a mother could ever ask for. Finding love among our people is incredibly rare and such a precious thing, the fact that Fili was able to find it in this peculiar world is a miracle and the work of Mahal. And their children, they were blessed with four children, three of which are female. Such a rare occurrence. Our family has been blessed beyond what I'd ever imagine we deserve."

Thorin thought about his passed brother in law and the resemblance from him to Fili were uncanny; he had his blonde hair, his complexion, and the way he carried himself were all Vali but the one thing that Fili did not inherit from his father was his eyes. Fili had the Durin blue eyes while Kili had inherited their father's dark colored eyes. He knew that in the beginning when his sister had first lost Vali that it was hard for her to look at Fili because of his uncanny resemblance to his father but overtime Dis appreciated it because she still had someone who looked like her husband and could be reminded of the good times that she had with him.

"Do you think that we are stuck here as Fili was when he had come to this world" Dis questioned quietly, really wishing to not find out the answer but she knew what the answer would be.

Sighing Thorin ran his hands through his hair, "I do not know Dis, I fear that we are stuck here for the foreseeable future." He replied resignedly, he hated that they may be stuck here after only having Erebor back for such a short amount of time but he was thankful that they would be among family. "At least we are all together this time."

"Yes, yes we are." She said to him and gave a small laugh as the dog beside her nudged her hand and gave a lick to signify he wanted to be pet more.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ 4 a.m. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Charlie had been woken up from a dead sleep by the high pitched screaming of one of the twins early that morning, which in turn woke the other twin up of course, Fili had made an incoherent sound and attempted to get up but Charlie pushed him back on the bed and told him to get some sleep. Quickly and definitely not easily, Charlie somehow managed to get both of the twins to latch onto her to feed, it took a bit of finagling but somehow she managed it. After burping the both of them and then checking their diapers Charlie lulled them to sleep, well, at least lulled Vali to sleep. Vivika seemed to not be a fan of falling back asleep, something Charlie desperately hoped that she wouldn't be like for long like she had been when she was a baby (so her mom said). Charlie hoped to Mahal that it was just the little girl being stubborn about falling back to sleep.

"Come little love, we're going downstairs so we can lead Adad and your brother to sleep." Charlie said as she threw a swaddle blanket over her shoulder and cradled Vivika in her arms and quietly made her way down the stairs to the living room.

Once down in the living room Charlie began to hum lightly to Vivika and sway her to try and help her get to sleep while walking around the room, while Charlie was doing that she was showing her daughter the pictures throughout the room and telling her who each of the people were in the pictures. Technically Vivika probably couldn't really make out who the people in the photo's were as of yet but whatever, Charlie was still going to show her and explain who they were to her even if she was too young to understand as of yet.

"And this is your other grandma, my Amad." Charlie said as she lightly touched a photo of her mom and her that she had up on the mantle. "She lives thousands of miles away so we don't get to see her very much." She explained as she touched the picture sadly. "Later today we're going to video chat her so you and Vali can meet her officially, you also have a cousin and an aunt and uncle."

Vivika began to fuss again, crying out and giving a look of frustration. So Charlie pulled her closer to her person and began to rock her and began to sing a song that she liked, it wasn't technically a lullaby – it was an ABBA song – but it was a song that she thought worked nonetheless. Gently caressing Vivika and placing a kiss on top of her head, Charlie began to sing quietly to her daughter.

I have a dream, a song to sing  
To help me cope with anything  
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale  
You can take the future even if you fail  
I believe in angels  
Something good in everything I see  
I believe in angels  
When I know the time is right for me  
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy  
To help me through reality  
And my destination makes it worth the while  
Pushing through the darkness still another mile  
I believe in angels  
Something good in everything I see  
I believe in angels  
When I know the time is right for me  
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream  
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing  
To help me cope with anything  
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale  
You can take the future even if you fail  
I believe in angels  
Something good in everything I see  
I believe in angels  
When I know the time is right for me  
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream  
I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

"You sing well," a deep voice said from behind Charlie making her jump for a moment in surprise.

Turning, Charlie gave a small smile to Thorin who no longer wore the thick coat and fur lined cloak that he had arrived in. "Thank you." She said to him and continued rocking Vivika where she stood. "Did we wake you?" she asked in concerned, her eyes looking at him worriedly that they might have.

Thorin looked at the girl and smiled, shaking his head at her question. "I was already awake." He admitted to her. "I do not do well sleeping in strange and unknown places, even that of family." He told her and then gave her a stern look. "What are you doing out of bed. Should you not be resting upstairs where it is more comfortable for you, you only gave birth hours ago."

Hearing Thorin's concern over her wellbeing made Charlie's heart swell a bit, she hasn't had anybody do that – parental/familial figure at least – for her since she lived back in Minnesota and was around her mom all the time. So it was sweet that Thorin was concerned that she was up and about already when she had only had the twins a handful of hours before.

"Well I would be resting if this little darling would let me," Charlie said as she smiled down into the eyes of her newborn daughter. "Someone, decided that they wanted to be up instead of going back to sleep. Didn't you my nathith, my hôfukel." She said as she pressed her forehead to Vivika's.

"Fili taught you our language." Thorin stated as he stared intently at Charlie.

At that Charlie nodded at him, "Once we both admitted what we felt towards one and another he began teaching me, I'm close to fluent but there's still some things that I need to work on." She admitted with a pout.

It's been seven years that Fili has been teaching her the language of his people and in Charlie's opinion, she should basically be fluent now but there were still some gaps in her knowledge which annoyed her. Fili told her that she was pretty close, that his language was complicating and didn't always make sense or flow like the common tongue – English – so it would take years and years before she was completely fluent.

"For only learning for the last seven years you are very skilled, not everyone would be able to pick it up and commit to it as you have over the years. I can barely hear an accent when you speak our language." Thorin praised which gained a smile from Charlie.

Charlie gave a grin before she looked down at Vivika who still seemed to be wide awake, she feared that her daughter was going to be taking after her where once she was awake she stayed awake for a while. If that's the case at least she knew that Vivika would grow out of it as she became older and more of a teenager – all teenagers liked to sleep in no matter the species or race.

"Well," Charlie said as she looked at Thorin who just raised his brows at her. "Since we're up and you're up I'm going to show you some pictures that we've taken over the years." She said not leaving any room for argument and grabbed a photo album off of the bookcase with one hand while the other still held Vivika in her arms. "Come on, sit on the couch with me. I won't bite, promise. Only Fili gets to experience that." She said with a smirk which widened when Thorin coughed a bit at that statement.

Sitting down on the couch beside Charlie, Thorin shook his head at the young woman and how freely she said whatever was on her mind without having to worry about the consequences or feeling embarrassment over such statements. Never in his life had Thorin ever been able to act as such except when he was a young dwarfling and that only lasted so many years before his father and grandfather began to prepare him to take over the role of king someday – he had very little of a childhood.

"What are these? They cannot be paintings," Thorin said as Charlie opened the book to the first page of what he assumed were small paintings but instead, he saw pictures of Fili and his family but they looked as if they were right there in front of him. "They are so detailed…so real looking." He said in awe.

"They're pictures, and don't ask me how they work and how we get them to look like that because I really have no idea. I just know how to take them." Charlie told him with an apologetic smile. "Here, look." She said and pointed to a picture of Fili with the two beasts of dogs he saw wandering around the property and the cat he had seen in the bedroom Fili and Charlie shared. "This was taken the first few weeks that Fili arrived. Godzilla, the big one, really loves him and thinks he's still a small puppy instead of a giant dog."

For a while the two poured over the pictures that Charlie was sharing with him; there were pictures of just Charlie and Fili doing different things in her world, she said they went on vacation to relax at a beach in a place called Hawaii and that they had swam in the ocean and got to swim with Dolphin's – a creature he decided to admit that he didn't know, and there were pictures of them around her home, of Fili working in a strange looking forge crafting things. There were candid photo's of the two of them together, pictures of just their faces close up and looking at one and another, some of them kissing and relaxing together, of them with their animals. Charlie showed him a picture of her and Fili when they had gotten married, explaining that they had mixed her modern heritage with his dwarven one to create a wedding that brought everything that they wanted from their own cultures into one ceremony.

The next page surprised Thorin, it was a picture of Fili and Charlie and what he assumed was their first child when she had just been born. "Is this.."

"Marlie. I had her at the hospital, or I guess you call them healers." Charlie said softly, noticing that Vivika had finally fallen asleep. "It's one of my favorite pictures of Fili, he looks so proud and in awe of her. He was afraid to hold her at first." She said with a small laugh. "The next page is from when I had Astryd." She said as Thorin gently turned the page, afraid he may tear it on accident.

For the next twenty minutes Thorin gazed through the 'photo album' as Charlie called it, seeing the life that Fili had built with Charlie. Him getting married, having children, taking their children on adventures through the country that Charlie resided in, there were pictures of the children covered in food along with Fili and Charlie. There were so many pictures and memories in these books of Charlie's, things that Fili and his family have experienced and done that though Thorin, Dis and Kili may not have been here to see and experience it with them at least with these pictures they can feel as if they were a part of it in some way.

"May I take this to show Dis when she awakens?" Thorin asked carefully, hoping that it would not be rude of him to ask such a thing.

At that Charlie nodded, "Of course, there's even more on the bookshelf just under our wedding picture." She said and pointed to one of the many bookshelves that was in the living room. "Feel free to look through them whenever you want." She said and carefully stood up, still in a bit of pain from giving birth. "Now that she's finally asleep I'm going to try and get her to lay down and then get some sleep myself."

Thorin stood and gave a slight bow to her, "Good night." He said to her and then looked to the small baby in her arms and smiled warmly.

Back in her and Fili's bedroom, Charlie carefully laid Vivika to sleep besides her twin and then quietly went to join her husband in their bed. Fili was asleep on his back she Charlie shuffled herself over and then curled herself into his warm side which he subconsciously responded by shifting to his side and throwing an arm around her so that she was pulled more securely to him.

For a few minutes Charlie just laid there in Fili's arms and stared at his sleeping face and just smiled to herself at the man that she had or rather dwarf; he was loving and caring, considerate, did romantic gestures just for the hell of it, would let her go off on a tangent about a subject he knew nothing about, joined her in being silly and weird and even moreso once they had the kids and just was an all-around wonderful being.

Reaching up, Charlie gently caressed his beard and laced a soft kiss along his lips and then sighed to herself before laying her head on Fili's chest to go to sleep.

"You are supposed to be asleep." Fili whispered without opening his eyes.

"I am. Shhh, you'll wake me." Charlie said with a playful smile on her lips as she said it.

Fili chuckled, "Minx." He said to her. "Now go to sleep Kidhuzurâl." Fili said in amusement at his wife.

"Yes yâsûn, that was the original plan."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Yay! Another chapter! What do you all think of this! I hope you all are enjoying it so far?

Translations:

Kidhuzurâl - golden one

yâsith - wife

amrâlimê - my love

nathith - daughter

amad - mother/mom

Dolzekh menu - thank you

inùdoy - son

yâsûn - husband


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: not mine as usual

Chapter Nine

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Fili ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

It was late morning and Fili was outside sitting on the porch with his mother each of them holding one of the twins, while watching his brother throw a ball for Godzilla and Ragnar who were more than happy with the attention since both Marlie and Astryd were visiting Eileen.

"Are you happy here?" Dis asked as she held Vali, a gently smile on her face as she looked down at the child and pulled the blanket more securely around him. "Does this place make you happy."

To Fili that was a hard question to properly answer, he's found happiness here in this world and this land of Montana with Charlie and their children and their pets but it does not mean that he's feeling the kind of happiness that his mother is talking about. He misses Erebor, he misses the friendships of the dwarves from the quest, he misses being around other dwarves like himself, he wished that he could tell people the truth of who he was rather than having to lie because people of Earth would not understand. He does not want to explain to people that he was really in his eighty's even though he looked around a thirty year old human, he didn't want his children to have a hard life simply because they were part dwarf and would live longer than everyone else here in this land, he didn't want them to have to hide who they were and lie for the rest of their lives. But with how this world worked, it simply wasn't possible to do any of those things unfortunately.

"I am happy with my family." Fili finally answered.

That wasn't the answer that Dis had wanted to hear, she wanted to hear that her son was genuinely happy here in this world not the half answer that she had received. "You do not like it here." She stated knowingly, looking into her son's blue eyes that matched her own.

Fili sighed as he readjusted Vivika in his arms and shook his head, "I did not want to come here in the first place, I did not want to stay here when that light brought me here but there was no choice in the matter. My choice had been taken from me and I was forced to stay here and create whatever life I could." He explained to her and then looked at his two newborn children before staring out at the sea of tree's that surrounded his and Charlie's home. "As much as I don't like this world it does not mean that I'm not thankful that I came here, coming here brought me to Charlie and gave me four children and that is something I will never regret. But I miss home. I even miss political meetings with the other lords around Erebor – even with the elves." He said to her. "That's simply how desperate I miss it all."

Dis understood what he meant, it was similar to how she felt when Erebor had first fallen and now, she was feeling it all again now that she was faced with the possibility that she and her family may not be able to go back to Middle-Earth. Fili has been in this world for almost seven years without the blue light ever showing again, so who is to say that it will ever appear again to allow them home and even if it did appear again there is no telling what Fili will do. Without a doubt Dis could tell that Fili missed Middle-Earth and home, but he had a wife and children to think about and this world is all that Charlie and their children had ever known. If Charlie really did not wish to come to Middle-Earth Dis knew that her son would make that sacrifice for his wife, that he would sacrifice the chance to return to Middle-Earth to make sure she was happy. It saddened her because she desperately wanted him home and made her proud at the same time that he thought so much of Charlie's happiness. It was a double-edged sword so to say.

"Would you stay if Charlie asked you?" Dis questioned and smiled when she saw Kili get tackled by the two dogs he was playing 'fetch' with, as Fili called it.

Hearing that Fili gave a big sigh, "I –"

Before Fili was able to answer that question, Charlie walked out onto the porch and looked at the two with an unreadable expression. Fili knew without a doubt that his wife more than likely heard what him and his mother had just been talking about which made him cringe a bit, he didn't want Charlie to hear it and feel guilty for more than likely wanting to stay in her own world. He was about to say something to her about what she heard but she spoke before he had a chance.

"We're going to be going to Middle-Earth – soon." Charlie said seriously as she took Vali from Dis who was fussing in her arms. "Can't you feel it?" she questioned as she looked at the two and latched her son onto her so that he could feed while making sure her nursing top covered everything.

"Feel what?" Dis asked curiously as she looked up at Charlie with a furrowed brow.

"The magic." Charlie answered simply. "I felt it that day that Fili and those Orc's appeared, and then again when you guys appeared last night. It's still in the air, not as strong but its still there." She told them seriously. "The closer you get to where you guys appeared the stronger the feeling of magic gets."

Charlie had been outside earlier that day after she woke up for the second time and took a walk to get some fresh air after being locked up in the house for however many hours, that's when she realized that the magic that brought Fili's family to them was still there. It had dissipated from what it originally was but it was still there, anyone with half a brain would be able to feel it once they got close enough. Once Charlie realized that, realized that the magic was still there she knew that she was going to make sure Fili and their family made it back to Middle-Earth no matter what the price was. After everything Fili has been through and seen, both in Middle-Earth and on Earth, after everything he had to sacrifice and had to give up – things that made Fili who he was and that was apart of his Dwarven culture. After all of that there was no doubt in Charlie's mind that everyone would be going back to Middle-Earth, even the animals.

"We need to get things ready for when it happens." Charlie stated evenly, sounding as if she was talking about the weather and not going to a completely different world that was vastly different from her own.

"Charlie, you need to think about this!" Fili hissed at her as he stared into her dark brown eyes, urging her to not make a rash decision.

"I have." She replied softly, a simple smile on her face as she looked at him. "I have thought about this Fili."

Fili shook his head in frustration as Charlie moved Vali from feeding to over her shoulder so that she could burp him, "I don't think you have, because if you had you would not be so calm about this sort of decision." He said to her.

Hearing that Charlie narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't you dare think that I haven't considered everything, that I haven't gone through all of the fucking emotions possible over this decision because I have." She hissed angrily as Thorin and Dwalin joined them on the porch, both of whom eyed Fili and Charlie hesitantly as they noticed the tense situation. "I'm a big girl Fili, I can think and make decisions all on my own. No need for someone to tell me what to think, shocking I know." She said to him scathingly. "You've apparently forgotten that I know how to think."

"What's going on?" Dwalin asked as he looked between Fili and his wife who seemed to be glaring at him with all the fires in mount doom.

"There's a way for you all to go home possibly," Fili replied as he looked away from Charlie angrily, his lips pursing at how frustrated he was with her. "The magic is still there, its not gone like we first thought."

Dwalin smiled at that, "That is good news!" he stated loudly, a grin on his face. "We will be able to go back to our kingdom."

"Exactly." Charlie replied, a snooty grin on her face as she looked at Fili.

"Charlie has decide that we're all going there." Fili replied testily, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Without considering what she's giving up."

Hearing that Thorin looked at her, "You wish to give up with world for ours?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course."

Fili glared at his wife and abruptly stood from his chair and began to pace back and forth on the porch and grasp at his hair in utter frustration at Charlie, at how blasé she was being about the situation and about the thought of leaving Earth. He did not think that she really realized what she was giving up and what would not be available there to do.

"Why are you so damn stubborn and hardheaded?" Fili asked rhetorically as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Me?" Charlie asked offended, ignoring the amused looks of the others which now included Kili who had come to join everyone when his uncle had come outside. "Look who's talking, like you're not? No need to be a damn hypocrite Fili." She retorted back at him, wishing that she could cross her arms but she had a baby in her arms still. "I've thought about this and you're not going to change my mind Fili. I know what I want and what I want to do and if the chance arises, we're going to Middle-Earth."

Watching Fili and Charlie fight made Thorin remember his brother in law and his sister arguing, both just as stubborn as each other and hard headed on top of that with a sharp tongue. Fili and Charlie were basically mirroring them and it was amusing to see and sad at the same time, if his brother in law was alive still he would be rolling on the ground laughing in amusement at the situation.

"I know what I'm sacrificing Fili, don't think I don't." Charlie hissed at him. "I'd be leaving my mom, my career, the few friends I have and my sister and her family. But they aren't who are important to me anymore and haven't been for almost seven years – you are, you and our kids. We need to do what's best for the kids Fili and this world, this place isn't what is best for them." She admitted and slowly stepped towards Fili and pulled him to her by grabbing a handful of his shirt and tugging. "This place isn't for them, this place may be familiar but it's not where they belong especially not once they get older. I may have a normal life span of a human, but you and the kids don't. You all could live to almost two hundred and fifty years or something?" she asked to which Dis gave a nod to her questioning look. "They'll never have a normal life, they'll never be able to have a family without explaining that they're actually dwarves who live twice as long as a human. I don't want them to have to live in a world where they will have to lie everyday of their lives just to not reveal what they are. It's not fair to them."

"Charlie." Fili said sadly at what she revealed and what she was willing to sacrifice for him and their children. "I don't want you to regret this."

"Its what we need to do." Charlie replied. "For them."

It was when Charlie said those words that it really solidified for Dis that Charlie was truly apart of their family, of course she was from the moment she married Fili and gave birth to her first child but this really sets it into stone. Any woman who would sacrifice her own happiness and the only home she'd ever known just to be sure that her children had the best life that they possibly could, and that would do anything to be sure they could grow up as normal as possible was worthy of being called more than just family. A human woman making a sacrifice like this was relatively unheard of in Middle-Earth, unfortunately most of the humans that Dis had ever come across had mostly been self-centered, egocentric and power hungry humans. None who were like Charlie.

"Please Fili, believe me. This is what we need to do for our family." Charlie told him.

Fili closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before he nodded, "Okay, okay Charlie." He replied before he leaned down and kissed her forehead before moving down to kiss Vali on the forehead as well.

It killed Fili to let his wife make a sacrifice such as this, to give up everything and everyone that she's ever known to come to a relatively unknown world that she's only ever read about. A world that is going to be nothing like reading about it, he knew Charlie read books on Middle-Earth and knew that there were dangers there – Orcs, Goblins, Wild Men, Etc – but it was going to be different than experiencing it first hand and he just would hate for her to regret it once she was faced with those kind of dangers first hand. Fili didn't want to see Charlie struggle with adjusting to life in Middle-Earth, especially the life of someone who was apart of the Royal family so to say with all of the requirements and expectations.

"There's Eileen." Fili said breaking the silence that had settled after the argument between him and Charlie.

Looking up from where she was leaning against Fili, Charlie saw the familiar car of Eileen's coming down the long driveway with both Marlie and Astryd in the backseat. Smiling, Charlie handed off Vali to the closest person which ended up being Dwalin who looked panicked when she settled her son into his arms but she didn't give him time to even argue against holding the baby before she made her way down the stairs of the porch to greet Eileen and the girls.

"AMAD!"

"ADAD!"

While Charlie and Fili walked down to greet the older woman and the children Dis and the others just stared in amazement at the two girls that were getting out of the odd contraption that came down the road – a form of transportation Fili had said. Dis had seen the pictures in her son and daughter in laws home but it was nothing on seeing her grandchildren in person, they were even more beautiful than she imagined they would be. The elder one looked just like Charlie, she had curls just like her mother did only less defined and a color more like Fili's, she had dark eyes from what she could see and it even looked as if she had a playful glint in her eyes which Dis now knew was a trait she gained from her mother. The younger one still had the cute chubbiness of a baby, and had curls more like her mother and the same coloring too, but her eyes had the blue color of Fili. Seeing them in person made Dis want to cry all over again, she could not believe how grateful she was to see them and to have her son back in her life once more and not forever be wondering what might have happened to him.

"Eileen this is Fili's family," Charlie said as she held Astryd's hand and approached the porch where everyone was seated. "His mother Dis, his brother Kili, his uncle Thorin and their family friend Dwalin." She said introducing them.

At that Eileen took on a shocked look as she looked from the two young adults whom she thought of as her own children at times and to the family that were standing in front of her, "It is wonderful to meet you." She said with a genuine smile on her face as she looked at Charlie and back at them. "Charlie had said that you all thought that Fili was dead and that the place you lived is far removed with very little modern convenience." She said to them. "It's a miracle you were able to find one and another."

It was Thorin who answered, "Yes, we are very grateful to find one and another."

"A great miracle." Dwalin agreed gruffly as he still held Vali in his arms, feeling more and more awkward by the minute, not that the modern clothes that Fili and Charlie had forced him and the others into that morning didn't make him already feel odd and out of place.

Both Marlie and Astryd hid behind their mother once they saw the strangers on the front porch of their house, they were strangers and the two big old men looked scary and mean. They didn't want to be around mean and scary people. But their mom and dad seemed to not be afraid of them and said that they were family somehow, so the two tried to not be afraid but it was hard.

"Marlie, Astryd." Fili said to his daughters, crouching down to their height so that he could talk to them softly. "You know how I've told you about my family from far away."

"The people who you cant see ever again." Marlie responded looking at her dad and then looking around his shoulder at the strange people.

Fili nodded, "Yes, I thought I would never see my family again but they are here. This is my family and I'd like to introduce you two to them. Is that okay? Would you like to meet your grandmother? And your new siblings?"

"We 'ave Gama?" Astryd asked, looking up into Fili's bright blue eyes with childlike wonder.

"Yes, more than just a grandma." Fili said and picked Astryd up in his arms and held his free hand out to Marlie to hold onto and brought them over to where his family was so that he could officially introduce everyone.

Thorin knew he was an intimidating person, many people have told him so before and it was something he tended to pride himself on but this was one of the situations where he tried his best to look as little intimidating as he possibly could. He did not wish to scare of his nephew's children.

"This is your grandma, my mother." Fili said as he stopped in front his mother and then gestured to the baby that she was holding. "And this is your new baby sister Vivika." He explained.

Dis smiled softly at the children and then carefully crouched down to their level so that they could have a look at their sister, "Hello my loves, I'm your grandma and I know you just met me but I just want you all to know that I love you so much already." She said to them with a smile.

Astryd grinned widely and threw her arms around Dis in a hug, trying to be careful about her new baby sister that she was holding. "Gama! You made of love." She said to her and then let her go and looked down at her sister. "She's so pretty."

"Just like you."

Fili smiled at the interaction and then gestured for Thorin, Kili and Dwalin to come over to them, "This is my uncle Thorin, and my brother Kili who is your uncle, and this is Dwalin a close friend." He said introducing them. "And Dwalin is holding your baby brother Vali."

"Another!" Marlie said in shock looking at the baby in the big man's arms and then at her dad. "Two?"

At that Fili laughed, "Yes, we had twins." He told her.

Thorin looked down at the two girls, "It is a pleasure to meet you two." Thorin said as he crouched down and then kissed each of the girls hand, making them giggle and give small smiles at that.

"You're silly!" Marlie said with a smile on her face.

Kili didn't even hesitate to sit down right in front of the two girls, "I'm going to be the best uncle you two have ever imagined," he said to them with a wide playful grin on his face as he looked the two over. "We're going to be the best of friends and do all of the things your parents say we can't do or is too dangerous."

Marlie looked at him for a moment, as if she was challenging him to a staring contest, and then suddenly burst into a wide grin that made her look very much like her mom. "You're so much better than David, he was a boring uncle. But you're fun!" she said and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug and then kissed his cheek before fliting back to her spot.

Astryd on the other hand let go of her dad and slowly made her way over to Kili and consequently tripped over her own feet landing face first onto the ground, doing his best to not laugh at his niece's expense Kili helped the girl up and was soon engulfed in a hug by the small girl. "Hi! You can play barbies with me later." She said and placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek before settling herself in his lap where he was sitting.

It was then that Charlie had come back over from talking with Eileen and smiled in amusement at Fili, "I see she has claimed you." She smirked in amusement. "You'll never get rid of her now." She stated.

"Good, I don't want to." Kili said as he wrapped his arms around his niece in a tight hug which made her giggle. "She even said I could play barbies with her later."

Unable to help herself Charlie gave a small laugh, "High praise, not just anyone gets to play with barbies you know." She said to him and looked down at her daughter. "Not even I get to play with them all that often."

It was later that night and Charlie had just gotten done changing and feeding Vivika, it was when she came down stairs that she saw the cutest sight that she's ever seen in her life. Thorin was asleep on the couch with his feet stretched out in front of him and his head thrown back against the back of the couch and in his arms was Vali who looked more than content where he was, laying against his side was Marlie who was giving small snores off, and beside her was Kili who had Astryd sprawled against his chest with a barbie clutched in her hand and a barbie also hanging loosely from Kili's hand.

Charlie very quietly made her way to the entryway and grabbed her Instax camera – basically a polaroid camera – and snapped a few pictures of the sight in front of her. When they go back to Middle-Earth she didn't want to forget moments like this, of the family just relaxing together and feeling comfortable enough to fall asleep near one and another. And besides, she doubt Thorin has ever looked or been this relaxed as he has been while he's been here on Earth.

"Quite the sight, isn't it." Fili said from behind her, wrapping his arms around his wife and resting his head on her shoulder as he looked at his uncle and brother with his two eldest daughters. "I've never seen Thorin like this before, I think the girls are good for him. I just hope when we get back that this continues, that he isn't so serious and stern all of the time." He said softly.

"I hope so too." Charlie said to him and turned her head just so and pressed a light kiss to Fili's lips. "We need to start packing the important things and have everything ready when it comes time to leaving."

Fili nodded in agreement, there were some things from this modern world that he knew his wife and kids would like to bring and needed time to make sure everything they wanted to bring was with them before they left. There was only once chance from what he understood, so they needed to be ready when the time came. He wanted his wife to have time to grab mementos of her time on Earth and the life she had.

"What are you going to tell your family?" he questioned.

At that Charlie shook her head and gave a small shrug, being careful to not wake Vivika up. "I…I don't know yet. I don't think there is anything that I can say that they will really believe. I feel like saying hey I'm moving to Middle-Earth won't really go over well but saying nothing won't help either, they'll keep on searching for me if I just disappear." She said and gave a heavy sigh. "But I can't just leave them hanging, I need to tell them something."

"I know," Fili said and looked at her sadly. "I wish there was a way so that you may still stay in communication with them, so that you wouldn't be completely cut off but there is nothing able to do so." He said regretfully, hating that his wife would go through the pain that he had when he had first arrived on Earth.

"I know, and I also know that you would sacrifice anything for me, that you would forget about your happiness to make sure I got what I wanted. That you would sacrifice ever seeing your home again just to make sure I was happy." She said to him and turned and laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes for a moment. "I know you'd sacrifice everything for me, that you'd give me the world and the stars if it was a possibility. And I will love you forever for being like that but it's my turn to make a sacrifice Fili. I love you."

"And I love you."

Once Charlie and Fili had put Marlie, Astryd and twins to sleep, hopefully the twins stayed asleep for at least a few hours, Charlie decided to go outside for a while to get some alone time while Fili spent some much-needed time with his brother. Charlie loved Fili and knew he would always be there for her but right now she didn't want to tell him what she was thinking and going through, she wanted him to be happy and to have time to reconnect with his family without having to worry about her. She didn't want him to end up staying on Earth because she was emotional about leaving everyone and everything behind, Charlie realized how big this sacrifice was that she was making for herself and her children and she knew that she was losing a lot and gaining only a little back. Even if she knew in her heart it was what was best, it didn't mean that it wasn't hard.

"Hi mom," Charlie said into her phone while sitting on the stairs of the porch, she wanted to talk to her mom at least one last time before she would never have the chance to again.

"Charlotte!" her mother said happily at hearing from her so soon. "How are you? I didn't think I would hear so soon from you after giving birth." She said to her with a hint of concern in her voice. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

At that Charlie gave a sad laugh, "You don't get much sleep with twins." She pointed out to her. "Vivika likes to wake up in the middle of the night and then stay up for an hour or two before finally going back to sleep." She told her.

"Fili helps, right?" her mom asked.

"Of course," she said with a smile. "Did you get the video and pictures I sent you?" she asked.

"I did! Printed them out already too." Her mom said happily, she could tell that there was a smile on her mom's face from the tone she used. "They are adorable, they both look so much like you and Fili. I can't believe that none of the doctors figured out you were having twins." She said to her.

Charlie gave a small smile, "I know, right. I thought I was big but didn't think I was big enough for twins. But at least I know why I gained more this pregnancy than the others." She said to her and turned around suddenly when she heard the front door open and saw Thorin walking out onto the porch, she gave a smile at him and gestured for him to join her if he wanted to. "Its definitely been an adjustment period."

Her mom was silent on the other line for a moment, "You know if I could've I would have come out there to help you." She said to her sincerely. "I really wish I could have, but with work and being tight on money right now it just wasn't possible."

"I know mom, I know you would have." Charlie said sadly, a downcast expression on her face as she looked down at her freshly painted toenails that she had Marlie help her with when the twins had been taking a nap after a feeding. "Shit happens." She said and heard an amused snort from Thorin.

Charlie made sure to take as many pictures and video's as she could of herself, Fili, and the twins and the girls once they came home so that she could send them all to her mom so that she had something of them for when they left. She felt guilty that her mom would never have a chance to see Vali or Vivika in person and would only have the pictures that she sent her on her phone and that she was taking with her Instax camera that she had – she deserved more. But with the situation, Charlie living in Montana and her mom back in Minnesota, it was the least she could do since she would be leaving Earth for Middle-Earth with no way to explain her and her family's sudden disappearance. She wanted to leave something behind for her at least.

"Mom," Charlie said after a few moments of silence. "I love you, you know."

"I know you do, is something wrong Charlie?" Her mom asked her in concern.

Charlie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "No, nothings wrong promise. Probably just emotional from having the twins and all that. And I guess just realizing how much you really did for me growing up, being a single mom and working all the time and doing what you could to make sure I was able to do the things I wanted to. I just….I just want you to know how much I appreciate it and love you for everything." She said to her, willing herself to not cry.

"I love you to Charlie, more than all the stars in the sky and all the sands in the sea." Her mom said to her causing Charlie to laugh a bit at that.

"I haven't heard you say that in years, not since I was a kid." Charlie told her.

Her mom chuckled, "And it's still true since the moment I ever said that to you." She told her sincerely. "I love you Charlie, you, Fili, and all of the kids."

After that Charlie and her mom said their goodbyes, which took another few minutes to do and then once Charlie had hung up the phone she gently set the phone down beside her and sighed heavily to herself. She hated how unfair this was, how unfair life was and how much it sucked that she would never get to see her mom again, or her sister who she still wanted to be able to reconcile with at some point, and that she wouldn't get to see her niece grow up and have a life of her own. That Eileen would no longer be able to be a step-in grandma for her kids, that all of the people who she considered friends she would no longer get to see again and that she wouldn't be able to give any of them a good explanation on why she and her family just up and disappeared. God, Charlie wished desperately that there was a way for her to be able to come and go from Earth and Middle-Earth but that simply wasn't the reality of the situation. No matter how much she loved her home, the life she created, her career, her family and friends the most important people to her now were her kids and Marlie, Astryd, Vali and Vivika needed to grow up in Middle-Earth. It is what is best for them.

"Good evening Charlotte." Thorin greeted, looking at his niece in law.

"Hi." Charlie said shortly, distracted by everything that was on her mind at the moment and trying to figure out what was the best course of action.

Thorin moved from the porch couch that he was sitting on to join Charlie on the steps that she was sitting on and just sat there in silence with her for a few minutes, letting her think through all of the emotions that she was feeling after talking with her mother on that odd contraption that he had seen both Fili and Charlie use a few times. An odd modern device of this world that is used for communication.

As Thorin observed Charlie from the corner of his eye he felt sympathy for what shew as going through and what she was sacrificing, he could tell that it was all taking a toll on her but she was doing her best to hide it from everyone else, especially the children of the household.

"I'm sorry Charlotte." Thorin said suddenly to the woman.

Charlie looked away from the ground and up to Thorin with a confused look on her face at his statement, "Sorry? Sorry for what?" she questioned.

Thorin gave a slight sigh before looking at her intently, "For disrupting the life that you've created here with Fili and the children. You have built a life with Fili, you have a home together with children and both have your own crafts that you do to support yourselves but we've come and interrupted that. Neither of you thought that Fili would ever have the chance to come back to Middle-Earth, you thought him stuck here and did your best to help him adjust to life here and making sure he felt as if he was contributing and then we appeared, changing everything." He said and paused a moment as he looked through the window of the house and could see Fili and Kili talking. "You are giving up so much, sacrificing so much for Fili's happiness, for your children's well-being. You didn't even hesitate to make the decision to come to Middle-Earth, a place that does not have nearly the technology that you have here or the convenience of these contraptions of yours – talking to someone who is many leagues away." He said gesturing to her cell phone. "I'm sure that it was not easy to decide as such."

For Charlie it hadn't been an easy decision, since she could sense the magic still lingering in the air – diluted but still there – she had been thinking on what she would do if it was possible for them to return to Middle-Earth. It was the hardest thing she's ever done, other than making end of life decisions for her dad while he was dying in the hospital. Charlie loved her modern conveniences and technology; she loved splurging on herself and getting Frappuccino's from Starbucks when she's near one, she loves Target way too much for her own good, she liked playing video games when she had a chance to, she loved writing on her computer and listening to music on YouTube and all the modern things a Millennial enjoyed. So when she realized what was more than likely going to happen, that the blue light thing would come back and be able to get them back to Middle-Earth Charlie knew that she would have to give a lot up to be sure her children would have the best life that they could, that they would be able to feel like normal kids and wouldn't have to hide who and what they were from the world. She knew things wouldn't be easy in Middle-Earth of course, Fili told her the history and strife of the land and with the dwarves and other races and knew that not everyone liked the dwarves, just like not everyone liked the elves or humans. But, being in Middle-Earth would be better for the kids than having them on Earth, they wouldn't feel strange for being shorter than almost everyone and wouldn't start to wonder why they only looked like they were twenty something when they were actually in their seventies.

"I wish I was a selfish person." Charlie said to Thorin, turning her dark brown eyes up to his blue colored ones, her emotions showing easily through her eyes.

When she looked at him like that, her torrent of emotions showing clearly on her face, Thorin had the urge to pull her to his side and embrace her as if she was his own child and not just his nephew's wife.

Shaking his head at his thoughts Thorin looked at her in concern, "Why would you wish such a thing?" he asked incredulously at her admission.

"It would be easier then." Charlie told him matter of factly. "It would be easier to do all of this if I was selfish and didn't care about other people's feelings, if I was self centered." She stated with a desolate tone of voice. "I would be able to tell Fili that we're staying and I know without a doubt that he would do it because it would make me happy and he loves me that much, I would be able to keep the kids here and not care that they would have a hard life growing up being that they are half-dwarf and would have am extended life. I wouldn't care that as they got older it would be harder and harder for them to live a normal life, to have friends, to have a family and a love life because no matter what they would live longer than everyone they knew. I could be selfish and not think of all of those things and stay here." She said and glanced behind her and through the window and saw Fili laughing along with Kili and could see Dis shaking her head at the two. "I can't do that though."

Charlotte may have reminded Thorin so much of his sister when she was younger, she had the stubbornness, hardheadedness, and fierceness that was the epitome of his sister but Charlotte still was her own person. Charlotte was doing something for the betterment of her family and it was hurting her because that would mean she would leave everything she knew behind for a strange world, she would be leaving her family behind who she loved dearly and would not be able to contact ever again and that had to pain her heart to do such a thing. Thorin did not envy Charlotte in the least and wished there was a way for him to help her or ease her decision but there wasn't, no matter what way you looked at it this would not be an easy thing for her.

"If you were such a person I do not believe you would have taken Fili in as you did when he had first arrived here, you would not have allowed him into your house let alone into your heart as you have." Thorin told her gently, a small smile on his face as he looked down at the young woman beside him. "Mahal would not have deemed you his One if you were such a person and I am grateful that you are not, you are perfect being the person you are. You would not have the life you have now if you were any different from the person you are now."

"Ugh," Charlie said loudly, pulling her hair over one shoulder and taking on a small pout on her face. "I hate this, I hate how guilty I feel for doing this to my family and then I feel guilty for wanting to be selfish and staying here. I wish I could have both." She said and took a deep breath. "And god, I'm so terrified about going to Middle-Earth."

"We will not let anything happen to you, the moment you were introduced as Fili's wife we've begun to care for you deeply and wouldn't let anything untoward happen to you." Thorin told her seriously, making sure she knew that she would be protected and cared for.

At that Charlie gave a small laugh, "That, I know and I'm very thankful for that." She told him and looked over at the dogs who were sleeping on the opposite side of the porch from where she and Thorin were seated. "That's not what scares me. What scares me is living in Middle-Earth, being apart of your family and dwarven society. I'm a human, anybody with eyes will be able to see that. I know that the dwarves are secretive, Fili's told me stories and taught me as much as he could, so I do know how you people feel about outsiders. I'm going to be considered an outside, someone that they won't trust." She pointed out to him. "I don't want you guys to suffer because I'm Fili's One and his wife, I don't want your people to look down on you because of me. Not to mention Fili is the heir, who is going to want their next King to be with a human and have half human children?" she asked bitterly.

Looking at Charlie and the marriage braid she wore, Thorin couldn't help but agree that things were not always going to be easy for her or their family. For many dwarves, especially some of the much older ones and some of the dwarven Lords it would not be easy for them to accept Charlotte and the fact that she was human. It would be even harder for her with her personality, if they spoke something against her or the children she would not hesitate to speak out against it and there were very few outspoken dwarven women so most of the dwarrow would not respond well. Many, like Charlotte had said, would not like the fact that a human woman would be the next Queen of Erebor and many of the older dwarves will look down on the fact that Fili's heir's were half dwarf. It was going to be very trying period for them all but Thorin knew that Charlotte was going to be good for their family and their people, he had a feeling that the fact that his sister now had someone similar to her with the same stubbornness that there were going to be changes that many people may not like very much.

"It will not be easy but you have myself, Fili, Kili and Dis by your side, you will get through this." Thorin told her sincerely and pulled her close and pressed his forehead to hers before releasing her. "I know it is intimidating, and not what you were expecting to have happen but I can tell from only knowing you but a few days that you will be able to handle anything that may be thrown at you." He stated.

"Thank you." Charlie said to him.

"You are family, it is what we do." He replied.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ Author's Note ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Wooo, we're getting in the fun stuff and getting closer to getting back to Middle Earth!


End file.
